The Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) over the years as always being a league that is very difficult for the teams involved to participate in, and as such it has always being a fight till the end for every team due to the toughness of league.
In 2012 or thereabout, the NPFL was named 4th best league by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics, and 53rd in the world as at then, perhaps due to the high grit of the league, however that isn’t our focus, Today Cheapgoals is taking a look at 5 teams that are most likely to win the 2019/20 NPFL title.
Lobi Stars
The Makurdi based team is gradually growing into the form they were in the 2017/18 season when the league season ended abruptly.
In other to meet up with the October 15 deadline of Confederation of African Football for countries to complete their registration for 2018/19 continental competitions, and as such Lobi was declared winner by the League Management Company (LMC), haven’t racked up forty-three points from the twenty-four games as at that time, Lobi won the league and were declared league champions and presented to CAF as Nigeria representative for the Champions League.
The Pride of Benue as Nigeria representative in the CAF champions league did struggle as they were pitted in the toughest group and against three former champions Wydad in 1992, 2017, Sundowns in 2016, and ASEC in 1998, but in the end, they were ousted from the tournament with a match to go and four-point.
Though the Benue boys are not playing on the continent this season, with what they’ve shown with their performance so far in the league this campaign, they are arguably one of the top five teams that could go on to win the league. They’ve played fifteen games this season, and sit second on the NPFL log with 28 points, same with table topper Plateau United who leads the log on goals difference.
If Lobi continues with their good run, they might end up being the champions of the NPFL, and also went on to represent Nigeria at the continent which would be their third outing at the CAF Champions League, but then only time would tell as the season is still very young in matchday 16, as such the league is still very open.
Plateau United
Life in the NPFL hasn’t been so easy for the Jos based side before now, but they’ve been knocking on the door of success for a long time, though they failed, yet they kept trying.
Plateau was promoted to the Nigeria Premier League for the 2010-11 season by winning on the last day against Mighty Jets, but couldn’t perform well the following season, as such they were relegated back on the last day of the season. Fortunately for them, they got promoted back to the top league on the last day of the 2015 season.
In 2017, their zeal for success came to the fore when they won the Nigerian Professional Football League for the first time in 2017, with a team led by coach Kennedy Boboye, since then Plateau United has been riding on confidence in the NPFL.
This season, they started the league with a lot of confidence and dexterity, and as such, they’ve been taking their opponents to the cleaners. At matchday 16, at home where they blew their opponents away was a testament to the fact that Plateau United won’t rest on their oars in going all out to win the league.
As it stands, they top the league table with 28 points the same as Lobi in second, if they must win the league, the Jos based side must be consistent home and away till the end.
Sunshine Stars
Two seasons before now, the Akure based side didn’t really perform well in the NPFL, in 2017-18 season they finished 18th on the NPFL log, and the following season didn’t go as planned for them in the league.
The Owena Waves currently sit fourth on the log in the NPFL, with 26 points haven’t played sixteen matches so far this season.
The Akure gunners, as they are usually called sometimes, are punching above their weight this season, perhaps they might go all the way to win the league this season, and also have the privilege to represent Nigeria on the continent just like they did in 2017 in the Champions League and 2011 in the confederation cup.
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However, the task ahead is still very tough considering the fact that they just lost their talisman Israeli Abia who is the top scorer in the league to Rangers, it might affect them going forward, but then if the Owena Waves really desires the league, they must be consistent till the end of the league.
Rivers United
Rivers United FC has remained in the top flight since its first season in 2016 after the state government got permission to merge Dolphins FC and Sharks FC.
The Pride of Rivers finished second in the Nigerian Premier League in 2016 which qualified them for the 2017 CAF Champions League for the first time but were kicked out in the first round by Sudan’s Al-Merrikh 4-3 on aggregate, which was a testament to the fact that they’ve been consistent in the league since the merger of Sharks and Dolphins.
Rivers currently sits third on the log, 28 points tied with Plateau United and Lobi Stars, haven’t played sixteen matches so far, however, if things went smoothly for the rivers based side this season, they could go on to win the league, but then they need to keep marching forward and never lose focus.
Dakkada FC
Dakkada F.C. formerly Akwa Starlets got promoted into the NPFL in 2019, prior to winning the Nigerian National League title.
In October 2019, the club management officially re-branded the club changing the name from Akwa Starlet F.C. to Dakkada F.C. and since then they’ve been a pro force the regular NPFL teams couldn’t shove off easily.
Dakkada currently sits 5th in league with 26 points, haven’t played 16 matches in the NPFL.
Their last three matches in the league isn’t that bad, they won one, lost one and drew the recent one in the matchday 16 away from home against the in-form Lobi Stars side, with the performance they’ve put on so far this campaign, perhaps they might go on to lunch an assault and snatch the title away from the prominent teams. But then, only time would tell if they can actually pull the plug.
