NPFL selects five locations to host first U-17 league

The first-ever youth league tournament is scheduled to begin in February 2024, and the Nigeria Premier Football League, or NPFL, has chosen five locations to hold it.

This was revealed in a letter written by the NPFL U-17 Youth League organising committee and signed by its chairman, Emeka Inyama.

The cities designated as the developing league’s host cities were Lafia, Ekiti, Awka, Kaduna, and Asaba.

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On February 1st, 2024, the tournament begins at all venues.

The league’s first season will include twenty clubs, divided into five groups of four teams each.

Each group’s winner advances to the championship playoff, where participants compete in a different round-robin format at a location that will be determined by the organisers at a later date.

The group matches are scheduled for February 1st–3rd, 2024, a three-day period.

The playoffs are slated to take place from February 13–17, 2024, with the championship play-off draw taking place on February 12th of that same year.

Doma United, Gombe United, Kano Pillars, and Katsina United make up Group A of the Kaduna zone.

Kwara United, Lobi Stars, Niger Tornadoes, and Plateau United comprise Group B Lafia zone.

Asaba Zone Group C Rivers United, Bendel Insurance, Bayelsa United, and Akwa United

Sporting Lagos, Sunshine Stars, Remo Stars, and Shooting Stars make up Group D, which represents the Southwest zone (Ekiti).

The Oriental derbies will take place in the last group E zone (Awka), which is home to Heartland, Rangers, Enyimba, and Abia Warriors.