But the League gets underway the same way it ended; amid uncertainty and controversy, and with pending issues from last season still unresolved.
Up until Thursday, clubs were still in the dark as to whether or not the league would actually kick off following calls for a nationwide strike over the Federal Government's removal of petrol subsidy.
Finally, the NPL exco announced a compromise, moving all games to Saturday to allow teams time enough to play and return home before Monday, when the proposed strike is scheduled to begin.
All but one game that is, as Kaduna United's scheduled meeting with Jigawa Stars has been put off till the Kaduna club settle outstanding wage issues with their players and former coach.
Sunshine travel to Port Harcourt under a cloud. Accused by Lobi Stars of match fixing last season, the case remains unresolved, with the Organising and Disciplinary Committee yet to come to a decision on the case.
Sunshine boss Mike Idoko, whose club faced the prospect of relegation if found guilty, threatened to open a can of match-fixing worms. The threat appeared to have put the brakes on proceedings.
On the pitch, expectations of cracking games are somehow dampened by the condition clubs, especially visiting ones find themselves.
With barely a month between the end of the last season and the start of the current one, there has been little time to apply for, and receive state-sponsored funding.
Sharks, who go to Ibadan in hopes of exercising their usual hex on 3SC, only left Port Harcourt less than 24 hours to the game, and will arrive Ibadan on match day, with just hours to spare before kick-off.
Dolphins v Sunshine Stars (Liberation Stadium) Enugu Rangers v Warri Wolves (Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium) Kwara United v Ocean Boys (Ilorin Township Stadium) Wikki Tourists v Heartland (Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium) Enyimba v ABS FC (Enyimba Sports Stadium) Kano Pillars v Niger Tornadoes (Sani Abacha Stadium) 3SC v Sharks (Obafemi Awolowo Stadium) Rising Stars v Akwa United (Dipo Dina Stadium) Gombe United v Lobi Stars (Pantami Stadium)




Your comments on this story...
Teell onye nkem.
Ekwensu kpokwa gi oku there !
Oh yes in fact i am tired of this country. i am from the north but have to be frank . iam so ashamed of things been messed up that i want to change my identity. this league starting as said so. na as usual win at home and loose away due to bribe that cant even produce a referee at the on going nations cup.Nigeria is in mess. going down instead of going up.Allah
dont let poeple venture anger on you. wat do you mean.OPC Massobb Niger-Delta militants.let me tel you boko haram is an enemy of humanity.boko haram are terorist worst than any thing you can think of. kiling innocnet poeple in church.infact teebuz u are a disgrace i beging to suspect you
Instead of criticizing and condemning the actions of those Northerners , you're rather justifying it.....is that what you call seeing beyond your prisms ??? I think you're in prison and its enough impediment to see beyond your prisms.
Meanwhile , Massob,OPC or Niger-delta never killed innocent people who are worshiping in Churches.
The Igbo man is as much God's creature as much as the Hausa man. Same applies to the christian and the moslem! Those doing the killings are not doing it on behalf of moslems. They are acting in line with the darkness of their hearts and minds.
Boko Haram are not moslems! They are sons and daughters of satan, the devil! All well meaning moslems, believers in justice and morality, must stand hand in hand with their christian counterparts, the hausa man must stand hand in hand with the Igbo man and fight Boko Haram.
This is a clarion call on all, northerners and southerners, to stand and be counted. We all must stand togethr against these sons of satan or fall together fighting.
IF WE CAN'T STAND TOGETHER AGAINST BOKO HARAM, THEN WE HAVE NO BUSINESS BEING NIGERIANS!