Sports

NPFL clarifies On Opening Day Fixtures, Says only Shooting vs. Plateau will hold

Published

2 years ago

September 1, 2023

Joel Ajayi

The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) curtain raiser fixture in Ibadan will be the only game to be held on the opening day of the 2023/24 season.

Chairman of the NPFL, Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye disclosed to the League Media outfit, the NPFL Media that the decision is consistent with the tradition established last season under the then Interim Management Committee (IMC).

“Remember that last season’s opening day fixture was the match in Uyo between Akwa United and Bendel Insurance. The other nine fixtures were played the following weekend and it is one of the traditions we are bringing into the new league era”, remarked Elegbeleye who is now the 2nd Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) by virtue of the football statutes.
Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) will be hosting former champions, Plateau United at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Adamasingba, Ibadan on Saturday, September 9.

The NPFL Boss also noted that the decision was also necessitated by the Super Eagles match on Sunday, September 10 in Uyo.

“Some of our clubs prefer playing their home matches on Sundays to attract a full house of fans and we cannot start from the first day to have scattered fixtures hence all other games apart from the curtain raiser have been moved to the following weekend”, he added.
In a related development, the match in Ibadan will be the first to be streamed on the new NPFLLive app on mobile phones and other devices.

Authorities of the Lekan Salami Stadium have completed the construction of a camera stand with a safe staircase where the AI Camera crew and commentators will operate.

Chairman of 3SC, Hon Babatunde Olaniyan revealed this in Abuja during the Annual General Meeting and Draw ceremony on Tuesday.

“We promised the broadcast team during their inspection visit that the camera stand staircase will be installed and our Governor approved funds for this because he wants the stadium to meet all requirements”, Olaniyan told NPFL Media

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Sports

Tangerine APT Pension Crowned New Kings of PFA Games 2025

Published

7 hours ago

November 30, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi
Joel Ajayi Tangerine APT Pension stormed the 2025 Pension Fund Administrators Games and snatched the crown with a commanding 66 points—ending FCMB’s reign and announcing themselves as the new champions of corporate sporting excellence.

From the first whistle to the final scoreboard, Tangerine APT played like an organisation possessed. They dominated volleyball and snooker, showcased brilliant tactical depth to finish second in chess behind Norrenberger, secured second place in team bonding behind Premium Pension, and held their own across the board—fourth in football, sixth in table tennis, fifth in scrabble, and eighth in e-sports, press conference, discipline and grooming. Every point mattered, and Tangerine APT grabbed them with fire.

Defending champions FCMB, despite flashes of brilliance, simply could not summon last year’s magic.

They finished second overall with 63 points—just three points behind the new champions. FCMB were first in scrabble, second in football, third in table tennis and e-sports, fourth in snooker and team bonding, and fifth in volleyball, chess, and press conference/discipline/grooming. A brave defence, but not enough to stop the Tangerine wave.

Rounding off the podium is NPF Pension, finishing third with 57 points after a spirited campaign. They claimed gold in football, second in table tennis and e-sports, third in volleyball, fourth in scrabble, sixth in press conference/discipline/fanfare/most coordinated, seventh in chess, and eighth in snooker and team bonding.

The rest of the table saw fierce competition:4th – Norrenberger Pension: 52 points, 5th – Premium Pension: 47 points, 6th – NNPC Pension: 45 points, 7th – Access Arm: 41 points
In Others position 8th – Trustfund Pension: 29 points 9th – PENCOM: 28 points and 10th – NUPEMCO: 25 points.

With the dust settled and the cheers still echoing, one truth stands tall:Tangerine APT Pension has ushered in a new era—bold, dominant, and unforgettable.

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