Wikki Tourists and FC Ifeanyiubah have been drawn to play the opening game of the 2016/17 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) which flags off on December 7 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu.
According to fixtures released by the League Management Company (LMC), the opening match will kick off at 5pm with the second fixture between league champions, Rangers International and runners-up, Rivers United starting at 7pm.
Chief Operating Officer of the LMC, Salihu Abubakar said “on Matchday 2, Rangers International will play Wikki Tourists in the first match starting at 5pm while Rivers United and FC Ifeanyiubah will take to the pitch for the second game of the day.”
The final matchday will have the fixtures between Rivers United and Wikki Tourists at 5pm while FC Ifeanyiubah and Rangers International will play the closing game at 7pm.
Abubakar also noted that all the matches will be played under floodlight.
“We are continuing with the growing popularity of night games in Enugu and essentially, we are also considering a fans-friendly time when businesses would have closed to encourage huge turnout for the matches.”
The NPFL Super 4 is an annual pre-season tournament organized by the LMC for clubs participating in Confederation of African Football (CAF) club competitions in the coming season. It enables the clubs condition their players for the competition as the tournament provides a platform for integration of new and retained players of the clubs as well as enable the managers put to competitive test their pre-season trainings.
Rangers International and Rivers United that finished first and second in the NPFL last seasom will represent Nigeria in the CAF Champions League while third-placed Wikki Tourists and Federation Cup champions, FC Ifeanyiubah will play in the CAF Confederation Cup.
credit: npfl