The 2017/18 season of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) will commence on January 14, 2018, the League Management Company confirmed on Thursday.
According to the season’s timeline made available to www.aclsports.com by LMC’s Special Duties Manager, Harry Iwuala, the season’s prelude, The Super Four tournament will hold on December 11-17 before the season gets underway about a month later.
Draws for the new season, pre-season seminar and spot checking on Clubs compliance to licensing regulations, payment of players and officials salaries, status of facilities among others will all hold in December.
Another key feature of the 2017/18 calendar is on January 8, 2018 when the LMC, which is First Instance Body (FIB) will issue the NFF Club Licensing Certificate to qualified clubs that meet the criteria for participation in the 2017/2018 NPFL Season, one week before the commencement of the season.
“The 2017/18 season will start at all centers on January 14 and in the first stanza, there will be three midweek matches on match days 2, 4 and 5 while the midseason break will be from April 30- May 5 and a longer break for the FIFA World Cup from June 14-July 15.
“Resumption from the World Cup break will be on July 18 with match day 25 which will be the first of another three midweek matches in the second stanza. The other two midweek fixtures will be on match day 27 and 29,” a part of the release revealed.
The NPFL pre-season tournament in December is expected to have six teams participating instead of the usual four.
Nigeria’s representatives in CAF club competitions next year Plateau United, MFM FC, Enyimba and Akwa United will be joined by hosts Kano Pillars and Nigeria’s home-based Super Eagles in the week-long tournament.
