After more than six months in the cooler, the abridged format of the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) new Season is scheduled to kick off in Uyo this afternoon with hosts Akwa United taking on recently promoted Bendel Insurance FC of Benin City.
According to the programme of the new season released by the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the league, only this fixture at the Nest of Champions in Uyo will kick off the new season with all other matches moved forward by one week.
Both teams are no strangers to each other. The last time both clubs met in the Nigerian topflight league was in 2008 where Bendel Insurance won by a slim 3-2 win over Akwa United.
Insurance however got relegated that season having finished 20th with 39 points in the league. The second season of the Benin Arsenal in the Nigerian topflight was during the 2019 abridged season and they couldn’t exceed their stay as they got demoted by again.
However, having failed twice in the NPFL, Bendel Insurance restrategized with rigour during their NNL campaign last year and appear ready to avoid another drop again.
Expectations are high on both sides with surprised result not ruled out of this first game of the new season.
Akwa United’s last season form at home matches showed that they weren’t top class as they dropped points a couple of times.
The Promise Keepers floundered at home last season as they recorded a total of 40 points with 11 wins, seven draws and a defeat compared to Katsina United who won 15 games at home, two draws and defeats.
Bendel Insurance, despite picking up points in the NNL on the road last season can’t attest to a similar fate as the NPFL is a different ball game. It however promised to be a fixture lovers of the Nigerian domestic club football should look forward to, most especially as IMC has promised that all games of the abridged league are to be streamed live.
