NPFL to kick off on January 13 with six postponed fixtures

Tosin Abayomi 09:43 - 10 January 2019

Remo Stars are the new members of the NPFL

After a 7-month break the NPFL will kick off on Sunday, January 13 but several games have been postponed

The 2019 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) will kick off on Sunday, January 13 with six games already confirmed postponed.

The league has been on break before the start of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and talks to resume had broken down numerously.

However, the league is set to kick off across several venues in the country.

With no team relegated from the previous season, the four promoted teams from the lower division have been established.

Bendel Insurance of Edo State make a return to the first tier of football in Nigeria after 10 years and are joined by Remo Stars of Ogun State from the Southern Conference.

Gombe United and Kada City picked up the Northern Conference tickets from the Nigeria National League (NNL) Super 8 competition.

Four of the postponements in the first league sets of games come from teams that participated at the NNL Super 8 in order to recover.

Bendel Insurance are back in the NPFL [OganlaMedia]

According to Salihu Abubakar, League Management Company (LMC) Chief Operating Officer explained the reason for the postponement.

He said, "The games involving the promoted clubs from the NNL are being shifted to give the clubs time to return to their respective bases and make adequate plans to play in the NPFL.”

"It’s only fair that the players be allowed time to recover from the rigours of the tournament they just participated in and they would join from Matchday 2 while a new date will be announced for the postponed fixtures."

The other postponement comes as reigning champions Lobi Star begin their CAF Champions League group stage campaign against Mamelodi Sundowns at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu on Friday, January 11, 2019 .