NPFL Unveils 2026/27 Season Calendar, Sets August 28 Kick-off Date

The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has announced its calendar of activities for the 2026/2027 season, with the new campaign scheduled to begin between August 28 and 30, 2026.

The league’s timetable outlines a series of pre-season activities designed to ensure clubs meet licensing, operational and regulatory requirements before the start of the campaign.

Preparations will commence in June with club licensing exercises, verification of the settlement of outstanding salaries owed to players and coaches, stadium and facility inspections, as well as compliance checks for participating clubs.

Ahead of the new season, the NPFL will also stage its Annual General Meeting (AGM), conduct the official league draws, and host the Super 4/6 tournament in Lagos.

Player registration and licensing will take place throughout July and August, while the first transfer window is scheduled to run from July 15 to September 14. Clubs are expected to complete player registration by August 22 in readiness for the opening fixtures.

The 38-match league season will run from late August 2026 to May 30, 2027. The first half of the campaign will end after Matchday 19 in December, followed by a mid-season break from December 23 to January 6. The second transfer window will remain open throughout January 2027 before league matches resume.

The calendar also accommodates the 2027 President Federation Cup, with state playoffs set for early February. The competition will progress through the Round of 64, Round of 32, Round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals before concluding later in the season.

As part of its long-term planning, the NPFL noted that the 2025/2026 season is due to end on May 24, 2026, while the 2026/2027 campaign will conclude on May 30, 2027. The league also projected that the 2027/2028 season will kick off between August 27 and 29, 2027, in line with its goal of maintaining a stable and predictable football calendar.

The schedule also includes orientation programmes for newly promoted clubs as part of the league’s preparations for the upcoming season.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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