2014 Nigeria Professional Football League

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Nigeria Premier League
ChampionsKano Pillars
RelegatedNembe City, Crown, Kaduna United, Gombe United
Champions LeagueKano Pillars, Enyimba International
Confederation CupWarri Wolves
Matches played380
Goals scored836 (2.2 per match)
Top goalscorerMfon Udoh (Enyimba F.C.)- 23
Biggest home winGombe United 6, Nembe City 0 (8 May)
Dolphins 6, Nembe City 0 (22 Oct.)
Biggest away winNembe City 0, Giwa 4 (16 Nov.)
Highest scoringWarri Wolves 7, Crown 1 (22 Oct.)
Longest unbeaten runSharks F.C. – 10 games (19 April to 1 June)
← 2013
2015 →

The 2014 Nigeria Professional Football League was the 43rd season of the competition since its inception, and the 24th since the rebranding of the league as the "Professional League". The season was scheduled to kick off on November 22, about one month after the conclusion of the 2013 season.[1] However, on that date the league's start was postponed to mid-February until after the 2014 African Nations Championship and to allow the teams to complete all their FIFA licensing.[2] It was delayed again until March.

Clubs[edit]

Sixteen teams from the previous season and four teams promoted from the Nigeria National League (Crown F.C., Giwa FC, Taraba F.C. and Abia Warriors F.C.) are participating in this season. With Abia Warriors debuting it means the Abia State derby with Enyimba will feature at the highest level of Nigerian football for the first time.

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Locations of the Nigeria Premier League 2013–14 teams
Team name Home city Home venue First year of current stint in League
Akwa United Uyo Uyo Township Stadium 2011
Bayelsa United F.C. Yenegoa Sapele Stadium/Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium 2012
Dolphins Port Harcourt Liberation Stadium 2009
Gombe United Gombe Pantami Stadium 1994
Heartland Owerri Dan Anyiam Stadium 1975
Kaduna United Kaduna Kaduna Township Stadium 2008
Lobi Stars Makurdi Emmanuel Atongo Stadium, Katsina-Ala/Aper Aku Stadium 1999
Nasarawa United Lafia Lafia Township Stadium 2012
Nembe City F.C. Nembe Krisdera Hotel Stadium, Port Harcourt 2012
Sunshine Stars Akure Akure Township Stadium 2007
El-Kanemi Warriors Maiduguri Pillars Stadium(Kano) 2012
Enugu Rangers Enugu Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium 1973
Enyimba Aba Enyimba International Stadium 1994
Kano Pillars Kano Sani Abacha Stadium/Pillars Stadium 2001
Sharks Port Harcourt Sharks Stadium 2008
Warri Wolves Warri Warri Township Stadium 2008
Abia Warriors F.C. Umuahia Umuahia Township Stadium 2013
Giwa FC Jos Rwang Pam Stadium 2013
Crown F.C. Ogbomosho Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan 2013
Taraba F.C. Jalingo Jalingo City Stadium 2013

Table[edit]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Kano Pillars (C) 38 19 8 11 57 41 +16 65 Qualification for 2015 CAF Champions League
2 Enyimba (Q) 38 18 10 10 50 27 +23 64
3 Warri Wolves (Q) 38 18 7 13 49 38 +11 61 Qualification for 2015 CAF Confederation Cup
4 Giwa 38 17 9 12 44 34 +10 60
5 Nasarawa United 38 17 8 13 43 37 +6 59
6 Lobi Stars 38 19 2 17 40 46 −6 59
7 Abia Warriors 38 17 7 14 51 40 +11 58
8 Enugu Rangers 38 17 7 14 45 37 +8 58
9 Dolphins 38 15 10 13 45 34 +11 55
10 Heartland 38 14 13 11 36 27 +9 55
11 Sunshine Stars 38 14 12 12 51 47 +4 54
12 Taraba 38 16 5 17 35 41 −6 53
13 Sharks 38 14 10 14 42 39 +3 52
14 El-Kanemi Warriors 38 14 9 15 43 35 +8 51
15 Bayelsa United 38 16 3 19 50 54 −4 51
16 Akwa United 38 14 9 15 27 34 −7 51
17 Gombe United (R) 38 14 8 16 42 41 +1 50 Relegated to Nigeria National League
18 Crown (R) 38 11 6 21 30 56 −26 39
19 Kaduna United (R) 38 11 5 22 33 55 −22 38
20 Nembe City (R) 38 6 10 22 23 73 −50 28
Updated to match(es) played on 5 Nov. 2014. Source: lmc-ng.org
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (R) Relegated

News[edit]

  • - On February 21, Sunshine Stars F.C. was involved in an accident on the road between Ijebu-Ode and Akure. Five players and the team masseur went to the hospital with serious injuries. However, nobody was killed.[3]
  • - On the eve of the league start, Giwa F.C. and Nembe City (the last two Nigeria National League champions and the league's only two privately funded clubs) were withdrawn from league fixtures by the LMC for failing to provide guarantees of the minimum salary for players, leaving the league at 18 teams.[4] Both teams appealed to be reinstated on March 20. Giwa was admitted back on the 2nd of April and Nembe City was readmitted the next day.[5][6]
  • - After the Week 1 games, Abia Warriors refused to travel to Maiduguri to play El-Kanemi Warriors, citing fears for safety after recent Boko Haram attacks. The league then refused to sanction games there, and El Kanemi nominally agreed to move games this season to Kano.[7]
  • - The Week 26 fixtures were suspended when the Nigeria Referees Association went on strike.[8] The league resumed 17 September.

Managerial (head coach) changes[edit]

Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Incoming manager Date of appointment
Nasarawa United Kadiri Ikhana Retired[9] 20 Oct. 2013(preseason) Mohammed Baba Ganaru 22 Nov. 2013
Enugu Rangers Felix Emordi Resigned[10] 21 Oct. 2013 John Obuh 28 Oct. 2013[11]
Akwa United Justin Tenger Contract expired[12] 1 Nov. 2013 Emmanuel King 10 Dec. 2013[13]
Kano Pillars Mohammed Baba Ganaru Resigned to take over Nasarawa United[14] 22 Nov. 2013 Felix Emordi 30 Jan. 2014[15]
Bayelsa United Ladan Bosso Resigned to take over Abia Warriors[16] 21 February 2014 Richard Bubagha 28 Feb. 2014[17]
Giwa FC Abdul Bidemi Biffo Resigned [18] 13 April Aminu Musa(Interim)/Kadiri Ikhana[19] 14 April/25 May
Kaduna United Saleh Lato Deceased 20 April Hassan Abubakar 27 April [20]
Giwa FC Kadiri Ikhana Resigned to take Enyimba job [18] 1 July Duke Udi[21] 1 July
Enyimba Zachary Baraje Fired 1 July Kadiri Ikhana[22] 1 July
Gombe United Maurice Cooreman Resigned- Illness July Augustine Eguavoen 9 July[23]

Top scorers[edit]

23 goals

References[edit]

  1. ^ "New Nigeria league season kicks off Nov 22". Archived from the original on 9 October 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  2. ^ "9jafootball.com". www.9jafootball.com. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  3. ^ "We're lucky to be alive - Sunshine player". Archived from the original on 2 March 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  4. ^ "Giwa, Nembe City thrown out of NPFL (supersport.com)". Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  5. ^ "Giwa FC re-admitted into NPFL".
  6. ^ "Nembe City return to NPFL".
  7. ^ "El Kanemi opt for Kano - MTNFootball". Archived from the original on 16 March 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  8. ^ "Nigeria League games suspended | Goal.com".
  9. ^ "No change of heart for Ikhana". Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  10. ^ "Emordi quits Enugu Rangers". Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  11. ^ "Rangers task new coach Obuh". Archived from the original on 31 October 2013. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  12. ^ "Tenger quits Akwa Utd".
  13. ^ "King happy with Akwa job".
  14. ^ "Nasarawa Utd hook Ganaru".
  15. ^ "Pillars appoint coach Okey Emordi". Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  16. ^ "Bosso Joins Abia Warriors After No Bayelsa Deal". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  17. ^ "Bayelsa Utd return to continental action".
  18. ^ a b "SuperSport".
  19. ^ "Ikhana: I will bring my experience to bear on Giwa FC". Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  20. ^ Abubakar appointed as Kaduna United Technical Adviser nigeriafootball.com [dead link]
  21. ^ "Duke Udi leads Giwa against ABS". Archived from the original on 5 July 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  22. ^ "Ikhana: why I joined Enyimba | Goal.com".
  23. ^ "Gideon savoring Eguavoen's partnership".
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