2015 Nigeria Professional Football League
| Season | 2015 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Akwa United Nasarawa United |
| Matches played | 380 |
| Goals scored | 816 (2.15 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Gbolahan Salami[1] of Warri Wolves (17 goals) |
| Biggest home win | 2 matches
|
| Biggest away win | 2 matches
|
| Highest scoring | Enugu Rangers Warri Wolves (4) |
| Longest unbeaten run | Enyimba (10) |
| Longest winless run | Taraba (17) |
| Longest losing run | Sunshine Stars Taraba (4) |
← 2014 →
All statistics correct as of 16 November 2015. | |
The 2015 Nigeria Professional Football League (referred to as the Nigerian
Enyimba won their seventh league title and first since the 2009–10 season. They clinched with a week to go in the season with a scoreless draw with Warri Wolves, who were six points behind. Warri Wolves finished in second place, four points behind Enyimba, and both will represent Nigeria in the 2016 CAF Champions League. Nasarawa United placed third and qualified for the 2016 CAF Confederation Cup.
Bayelsa United, Kwara United, Sharks and Taraba each finished in the bottom four and will be relegated to the Nigeria National League for 2016. Akwa United escaped relegation, pulling out of the bottom four with a 1-0 win over Lobi Stars in their final match of the season.
Clubs
A total of 20 teams will contest the league including 16 teams from the
Teams
Stadiums and locations
Akwa United
|
Bayelsa United F.C. | Dolphin F.C.
|
Wikki Tourists
|
Heartland | Gabros
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Akwa Ibom Stadium
|
Oghara Township Stadium | Liberation Stadium
|
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium | Dan Anyiam Stadium | Gabros Stadium |
| Capacity: 30,000 | Capacity: 5,000 | Capacity: 30,000 | Capacity: 15,000 | Capacity: 10,000 | Capacity: 3,000 |
Lobi Stars
|
Nasarawa United
|
Kwara United F.C. | Sunshine Stars F.C. | ||
| Aper Aku Stadium | Lafia Township Stadium | Kwara Stadium
|
Akure Township Stadium | ||
| Capacity: 20,000 | Capacity: 5,000 | Capacity: 18,000 | Capacity: 10,000 | ||
El-Kanemi Warriors
|
Enugu Rangers
|
Enyimba
|
Kano Pillars
| ||
Karkanda Stadium
|
Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium | Enyimba International Stadium | Sani Abacha Stadium | ||
| Capacity: 35,000 | Capacity: 22,000 | Capacity: 25,500 | Capacity: 25,000 | ||
| Sharks | Warri Wolves
|
Abia Warriors F.C. | Giwa FC
|
Shooting Stars F.C.
|
Taraba F.C. |
| Sharks Stadium | Warri Township Stadium
|
Umuahia Township Stadium | Rwang Pam Stadium | Lekan Salami Stadium
|
Jalingo City Stadium |
| Capacity: 10,000 | Capacity: 20,000 | Capacity: 5,000 | Capacity: 15,000 | Capacity: 18,000 | Capacity: 30,000 |
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Enyimba (C, Q) | 38 | 19 | 13 | 6 | 48 | 27 | +21 | 70 | Qualification for 2016 CAF Champions League |
| 2 | Warri Wolves (Q) | 38 | 19 | 9 | 10 | 62 | 29 | +33 | 66 | |
| 3 | Nasarawa United (Q) | 38 | 18 | 9 | 11 | 46 | 35 | +11 | 63 | Qualification for 2016 CAF Confederation Cup |
| 4 | Wikki Tourists | 38 | 18 | 9 | 11 | 45 | 36 | +9 | 63 | |
| 5 | Giwa
|
38 | 17 | 12 | 9 | 44 | 41 | +3 | 63 | |
| 6 | Sunshine Stars | 38 | 18 | 7 | 13 | 58 | 38 | +20 | 61 | |
| 7 | Heartland | 38 | 17 | 5 | 16 | 46 | 40 | +6 | 56 | |
| 8 | Kano Pillars | 38 | 16 | 7 | 15 | 45 | 39 | +6 | 55 | |
| 9 | Shooting Stars
|
38 | 15 | 8 | 15 | 39 | 39 | 0 | 53 | |
| 10 | Abia Warriors | 38 | 16 | 5 | 17 | 39 | 43 | −4 | 53 | |
| 11 | Gabros International
|
38 | 14 | 8 | 16 | 37 | 40 | −3 | 50 | |
| 12 | Enugu Rangers
|
38 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 46 | 51 | −5 | 49 | |
| 13 | El-Kanemi Warriors
|
38 | 14 | 7 | 17 | 38 | 56 | −18 | 49 | |
| 14 | Lobi Stars
|
38 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 34 | 39 | −5 | 47 | |
| 15 | Akwa United (Q) | 38 | 13 | 8 | 17 | 33 | 43 | −10 | 47 | Qualification for 2016 CAF Confederation Cup |
| 16 | Dolphins
|
38 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 38 | 40 | −2 | 45 | |
| 17 | Sharks (R) | 38 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 28 | 39 | −11 | 45 | Relegation to Nigeria National League |
| 18 | Kwara United (R) | 38 | 12 | 6 | 20 | 32 | 46 | −14 | 42 | |
| 19 | Taraba (R) | 38 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 30 | 47 | −17 | 37 | |
| 20 | Bayelsa United (R) | 38 | 7 | 13 | 18 | 28 | 48 | −20 | 34 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (R) Relegated
News
Five Kano Pillars players were injured during an armed robbery as the club was heading south for their opener against Heartland FC.[2] Their opening game was postponed indefinitely.
In June, the league forced several clubs to find new venues for Matchdays 12 and 13 while they make mandatory upgrades to their home grounds.[3]
In August, Kano Pillars' 12-year undefeated streak at home came to an end in a 2-1 loss to Nasarawa United.[4]
References
- ^ "Welcome to ABZ (Arthur Bueze's) SportsBlog: Gbolahan Salami wins first edition of Rashidi Yekini's NPFL Golden Boot Award, see other list of winners". Archived from the original on 2016-12-23. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
- ^ "Gunmen wound Kano Pillars players". BBC Sport.
- ^ "Seven clubs settle for new homes, LMC awaits Giwa, Nasarawa". www.npfl.ng. Archived from the original on 21 June 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
- ^ Premier League side's unbeaten record ends[permanent dead link]
- http://npfl.ng/ Archived 2015-10-25 at the Wayback Machine