One of those modalities has been, to make sure that teams play their game in a nice environment and top notch pitch. Hence the inspection of the facilities of some of the clubs that'll be participating in the league come January 8th, 2023.
This was carried out by the IMC's Head of Operations Mr Davidson Onwumi, and upon completion of the inspection, (5) NPFl clubs didn't have good facilities hence them being banished from their home grounds to play else where.
Those (5) teams includes: Rangers International of Enugu, Kwara United of Ilorin, Niger Tornadoes of Minna, Lobi Stars of Makurdi and Nasarawa United of Lafia are the clubs that failed to provide up-to-standard stadium facilities to host matches based on requirements of the Club Licensing.
In the fixture released by the IMC, Nasarawa United will be playing their home games at the New Jos Township Stadium, while Kwara United will play theirs at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan with both teams being in Group A.
However in Group B, Abdu Maikaba's flying antelopes will play Abia Warriors at the Awka City Stadium and not their traditional Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu, while Wikki Tourists vs Niger Tornadoes will be at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium in Bauchi.
Meanwhile high flying Rivers United will entertain Lobi Stars at the Adokie Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt. The result of what we're seeing is in consonace with what the IMC's Head of Operations Davidson Onwumi said which reads;
"In strict adherence to the provisions of the NPFL Club Licensing Regulation, clubs that fail requirements will be held accountable.
“We want to get it right from the start and this can only be achieved when the rules are followed”, he insisted.
By and Large, the issue of poor facilities in the Nigerian Professional Football League has often been a parasite that has eaten deep into Nigerian football over the years and has given the league a poor image.
The issue has been a grave one that erstwhile LMC couldn't cure, but with the steps taken by the Interim Management Committee we hope that we're finally making progress and heading to the right direction in our league.