NPFL: IMC promises to televise abridged league draw, regular matches

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

The draw for the 2022/2023 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season will be televised on Wednesday.

The abridged league draw slated to hold on Wednesday, December 28, in Abuja will be televised either on the Africa Independent Television (AIT) or Nigeria Television Authority (NTA).

Chairman of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the NPFL, Gbenga Elegbeleye confirmed this ahead of the draw, saying: “The draw will be live on television. We will finalise the decision with the television station.

“We have been discussing with both the African Independent Television (AIT) and Nigeria Television Authority (NTA). We can be very sure of having a live show. The draw will be very transparent in Abuja at 2 pm. We are inviting some football celebrities to come and do the draw for us,” Elegbeleye said on Kennis FM’s Sports Salsa.

The former chairman of Sunshine Stars stated the reasons why NPFL is not on television after about six years under the leadership of the defunct League Management Company.

“We are just starting now. Nigeria league has been off television for many years. The reason is that sponsors are running away. With what we did with the pre-season and our sponsors, others can come in to deal with us. We don’t have any title sponsors for the league,” he continued.

“The current sponsor that we just got came due to our personality and what we stand for as football investors. IMC Vice Chairman is Paul Bassey, a veteran journalist who has been involved in football promotion and sports journalism for years.

“Kunle Soname, the owner of Remo Stars and Bet9ja is a member of IMC. Former Super Eagles player and special adviser to the President on Sports, Daniel Amokachi is also a member of the IMC. These are people who invest a lot in football and want the best for the game. We have members with a credible backgrounds. This is what attracts investors.

“We are going to have three pots for the abridged season. All the teams will pick to decide their pots. We will try to ensure that clubs from the same states will not be in the same pot. For instance, Abia Warriors and Enyimba are from the same state. Dakkada FC and Akwa United. Gombe United and Doma United. We will separate them so that they won’t be in the same pots to play together.”