Nigeria Professional Football League Previews, Predictions & Betting Tips

The Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) is the top division in the Nigerian football league system. The League has gone through significant changes in name and format over the years, initially starting as the Nigerian National League in 1972.

The NPFL is made up of 20 teams that play each other home and away usually between January and September. In 2012 the NPFL was rated the 24th best football league in the world by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS), putting the league ahead of the Scottish Premier League.

Nigerian Professional Football is not limited to the league. There is the Nigerian FA Cup which is known as the Aiteo Cup, the Super 4 tournament for the top four teams each season and the Super Cup which is played between the League winners and FA Cup winners.

Big guns Enyimba F.C. and Enugu Rangers are the most successful teams in the NPFL, both with seven league titles and continental success in the past. The NPFL boasts top Nigerian players who have gone on to have great careers for some of Europe’s big clubs, notably John Mikel Obi, Nwankwo Kanu and Austin "Jay Jay" Okocha.