NPFL Matchday 3: Debutants Face Baptism of Fire

NPFL Matchday 3: Debutants Face Baptism of Fire

By Amaechi Agbo

The four newly promoted clubs to the Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL, will Sunday face their baptism of fire as they make their debut in the elite league.

Bendel Insurance of Benin, Kada City of Kaduna, Remo Stars of Ogun and Gombe United of Gombe, all gained promotion to the NPFL after the Nigeria National League, NNL Super 8 that marked the end of the 2018 NNL season.

With Kada City emerging champions of the NNL after defeating Bendel Insurance 4-3 on penalty the NNL finals last week, the four teams were given a week of "hooneymoon" to rest before they joined the league which kicked off on Sunday, 13 January, 2019.

The matches involving the newly promoted teams in Matchday 1and 2 of the 2018/19 NPFL season were postponed while the teams are to start their matches from Matchday 3 on Sunday, January 20.

Consequently, matches involving the four clubs - Yobe Stars v Gombe United, Gombe United v Akwa United; Wikki Tourists v Bendel, Bendel v Enyimba; Go Round v Kada City, Kada City v Yobe Stars and Rivers United v Remo Stars/Remo Stars v Wikki Tourists matchdays 1 and 2 respectively, were put on hold.

Whereas Remo stars, Gombe United and Bendel Insurance are all old warlords in the league, Kada City, a club unveiled barely a year ago, will make it's debut on Sunday in the league.

Kada City was officially unveiled as a club on 23rd January, 2018 and they surmounted the unthinkables by playing in the NNL Super8 and not just becoming the champions of the 2nd tier league in the country but gained promotion to the nation's elite division.

On Sunday, as the four former NNL clubs take their bow in the league, it appears not to be a rosy opening for them as strong and difficult matches await them on Sunday going forward.

For instance, in what is regarded as new "comers affairs", the four teams square up against against one another in their opening matches of the new season. Remo stars will take on Bendel Insurance while Gombe United and Kada City will slug it out.

Gombe United have been in the league on many occasions and made its first debut in 1994. Bendel Insurance, two-time champions of the NPFL (1973, 1979) have had it's a share of fairytales in the league.

Remo Stars - one-season-wonder club, first gained promotion to the NPFL in 2016 but got relegated at the end of the season in 2017. They however spent just a year in the NNL and got back to the elite league via hardwork and commitment in 2019.

Kada City, Champions of NNL, are making their first debut on Sunday with a lot of promises and expectations in view of their rapid rise to the premier league just within a year of its formation.

NPFL, is a higher progression compared to NNL and as the four newly promoted clubs face one another on sunday, fear of dropping back to the National League will be the watchword of the new clubs.

With the exceptions of the matches involving continental campaigners such as Rangers and Lobi Stars on Sunday put on hold, football fans will look up to the league and see how the newly promoted clubs will survive or perform in there baptism of fire.