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Plateau United set sights on 2026-27 NPFL title and CAF Champions League return
Plateau United have been given a mandate by Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang to win the 2026-27 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) title and return to continental football, Executive Chairman Alhassan Yakmut says.
The Tin City club are targeting a place in the 2027-28 CAF Champions League after missing out on the continental ticket in the previous campaign.
Yakmut, a former Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), disclosed the governor’s directive after the NPFL board’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Ibadan.
He said the club had already begun working towards meeting the target set by the Plateau State government.
“Well, the AGM was a very good forum for us to understand the vision of the league in terms of the 2026/2027 season, and then the review of the 2025/2026 season also gave us a clue as to what to emphasise in our preparation towards Plateau United winning the league and then going to represent Nigeria in the CAF Champions League,” Yakmut began.
The chairman said the club’s objective was not limited to domestic success, with the governor expecting Plateau United to once again compete on the African stage.
“We have the mandate of His Excellency, the Governor of Plateau State, Governor Caleb Mutfwang, to take Plateau United to the continental stage.
“Our Technical Adviser, Chief Gbenga Ogunbote, has already signed his contract extension with us, and he is already preparing towards selecting the best legs that will redeem us from the embarrassment of not getting the continental ticket.”
Yakmut said the AGM had helped the club assess the lessons from the 2025-26 season and understand the direction of the NPFL ahead of the new campaign.
Plateau United’s planned return to the CAF Champions League would mark their first appearance in the competition since the 2022-23 season.
Their most recent campaign in the tournament ended in the second preliminary round, when they were eliminated by Esperance de Tunis.
The Nigerian club then moved into the CAF Confederation Cup, but their continental run was brought to an end by Libyan side Al-Akhdar SC.
Plateau United will therefore begin preparations for the 2026-27 NPFL season with the stated aim of securing the league title and regaining Nigeria’s place in the following season’s CAF Champions League. Coach Gbenga Ogunbote has extended his contract and is now expected to help assemble the squad required to achieve that objective.
