After weeks of uncertainty, football action is expected to resume in the top-flight next month
The 2019/20 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season will officially start on Sunday, September 22, 2019.
According to the official communication sent to participating clubs by Salihu Abubakar, the chief operating officer of the League Management Company, (LMC), Matchday 1 fixtures will be played on September 22 and the season will run until May 17 next year. The league is expected to take a break from December 30 to January 10.
Unlike last season, where an abridged competition format was adopted and a champion was determined after a post-season play-off tournament held in Lagos, the 2019/2020 season will be returning to its original 38 matchday format.
The newly released NPFL time-table is subject to change and will feature only four matchdays outside the weekends, which if implemented, will be the fewest played on weekdays in the league in recent times.
Before this latest development, many clubs had placed their preseason activities on hold, with only the teams participating in Caf starting training camps.
Enyimba are the defending champions of the NPFL, having won a record eight league titles.
The People’s Elephant won the championship play-offs staged at the Agege Stadium ahead of Kano Pillars, Enugu Rangers, Akwa United, Lobi Stars and Ifeanyi Ubah who all took part in the Super-Six tournament.
