Sports

Elegbeleye thumbs up intriguing NPFL Title Race

Published

2 years ago

March 13, 2025

It has been a season of twists and turns at the top and bottom zones of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) log with positions changing almost after every Matchday.

At the start of the season, Remo Stars established their title credentials by staying within the top three just as Lobi Stars, Nasarawa and Akwa United struggled to burst loose from the drop zone.

As the season crossed the half line, Remo Stars broke away from the loop, establishing a ten points gap from the chasing pack. But it appears the fierce fight now is for the remaining continental slots, which Ikorodu City is the latest and surprise entrant. They join the quartet of Rivers United, Shooting Stars, Rangers and Enyimba in the jostle for second and third place.

NPFL Chairman, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye took stock of the ding-dong and expressed excitement over the fierce battle for the league title and continental spots.

After Matchday 28, theres left 10 matchdays to conclude the season, and Elegbeleye says the competition has been “unprecedented,” He attributes the tight contest to improvements in match officiating that may have boosted clubs’ confidence.

“Teams now travel for away games with the mindset of winning rather than just defending for a point,” he noted.

The NPFL has increasingly attracted new breed of young managers including former Super Eagles players who returned from Europe. From Finidi Georgia to Emmanuel Amunike and Daniel Amokachi to least a few, the European influence is aiding the competition. There are also the likes of home bred Stars like Imama Amakapabo, Kennedy Boboye, Tony Bulus and others who are all from the same generation.

Elegbeleye points to their influence in the rise in coaching standards, arguing that “with the blend of young and experienced tacticians, we are creating an environment where ex-players can transition into coaching roles, and where Super Eagles and international players feel comfortable playing in Nigeria due to the league’s quality.”

He is specifically impressed by Ikorodu City, whose remarkable rise has added a fresh twist to the title race.

“]Ikorodu City’s performance has been impressive. They’ve shown that privately owned clubs can thrive in the NPFL with proper planning, recruitment, and promotion. From struggling early in the season to now challenging for the title and continental spots, they’ve added excitement and credibility to the league. Their journey is a testament to what can be achieved with the right approach.”

On the relegation battle, Elegbeleye noted the fierce competition at the bottom of the table. “While the focus is often on the top, the fight to avoid relegation is equally intense. Any team from 12th to 20th is still at risk, which shows the level of competition in the league. We’ll be closely monitoring the remaining matches to ensure fairness and integrity.”

With the NPFL delivering drama, quality, and unpredictability, Elegbeleye is confident the league will crown a worthy champion at the end of the season.

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Sports

Plateau Vipers, Benue Queens Crowned Champions at HFN North Central Division One Tourney

Published

16 hours ago

October 3, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The President of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Jibril Seidu, has said the federation will continue to intensify its grassroots talent development drive through zonal competitions across the country.

Seidu stated this on Saturday in Abuja at the finals of the 2026 North Central Division One Handball Championship, where Plateau Vipers defeated Suleja Shooters 29-24 to emerge champions in the men’s category.

In the women’s final, Benue Queens of Makurdi defeated City Queens of Suleja to claim the title.

The eight-day tournament featured teams from across the North Central Zone, with Plateau Vipers of Jos, Confluence Stars of Lokoja, Unity Boys of Abuja, Suleja Shooters and Nasarawa Ambassadors of Lafia competing in the men’s category.

In the women’s category, Nuela Handball Academy of Ilorin, Inikpi Babes of Idah, Benue Queens of Makurdi and City Queens of Suleja competed for honours.

At the end of the competition, four teams — two male and two female — emerged as the North Central Zone’s representatives for the national Division One league.

According to Seidu, the tournament was organised as part of the federation’s deliberate strategy to take handball development back to the regions and discover talents that might otherwise remain unnoticed.

He said the HFN board, inaugurated on October 25, 2025, resolved that grassroots development was essential to creating a sustainable pipeline of players for national and international competitions.

“All the teams you have seen here are from the North Central Zone of the country, and every state is represented with an academy or state team,” he said.

Seidu explained that the new approach marked a departure from the previous system, where talent identification was largely centred on the federation’s major league competitions.

He said taking competitions to the regions would provide young players with greater opportunities to showcase their abilities while strengthening the foundation of handball across the country.

The HFN president also linked the grassroots initiative to Nigeria’s recent achievements in international handball, stressing the need to develop younger players who can eventually replace members of the current national teams.

He noted that Nigeria had qualified for the 2027 Men’s Junior Handball World Championship in North Macedonia, describing the achievement as evidence of the potential within the country’s handball system.

“How do we replace these players with upcoming players? This is the avenue for us to get players,” he said.

Seidu added that the federation was determined to make handball more visible and accessible, describing it as one of Nigeria’s major sporting disciplines with significant potential for growth.

The North Central tournament is part of a wider zonal programme designed to decentralise handball development across Nigeria.

According to the federation, similar competitions are being organised across other zones, including the South East, North East, North West and South South, with qualifiers from each zone expected to converge at a designated venue for the next stage of the competition.

The federation also appealed for greater support from sponsors, stakeholders and state associations to sustain its grassroots development programme.

It expressed appreciation to the participating states, academies, team sponsors and other stakeholders for their support and commitment to the growth of handball in Nigeria.

The federation said the initiative would provide a platform for discovering the next generation of Nigerian handball stars while expanding the sport’s reach beyond its traditional centres.
While Speaking the elated coach of Benue Queen Godwin Tondo has promised a stronger and more tactical performance after guiding the team to victory at the 2026 North Central Division One Handball Championship in Abuja.
He attributed the success to the team’s long-term youth development programme, noting that the squad was built through a deliberate process of identifying and nurturing young talents.
According to him, the programme began with the selection of 92 girls from secondary schools, who were subsequently trained and developed over a four-year period.

He said the team’s success was a product of sustained hard work and commitment despite the challenges encountered during preparations for the tournament.

“I feel very pleased being a champion today. The road to this stage was very, very hard, but I am very happy that we have got the result from all the toughness of the game,” he said.

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