2017 Nigeria Professional Football League

Nigeria Premier League
ChampionsPlateau United[1]
RelegatedShooting Stars SC Remo Stars F.C.
Gombe United F.C. ABS
Champions LeaguePlateau United
MFM F.C.
Confederation CupEnyimba
Matches played380
Goals scored765 (2.01 per match)
Top goalscorerAnthony Okpotu (19)
Biggest home winIfeanyi Uba 4-0 MFM
(18 January 2017) MFM 4-0 Lobi Stars
(22 January 2017) Nasarawa United 4-0 MFM
(2 April 2017)
Biggest away winShooting Stars 0-3 Ifeanyi Ubah
27 May 2017)
Highest scoringAkwa United 4-2 Shooting Stars
(2 April 2017) Gombe United 3-3 Enugu Rangers
(10 May 2017)
Longest winning runEl Kanemi Warriors (4)
Longest unbeaten runPlateau United (7)
Longest winless runRemo Stars (14)
Longest losing runKano Pillars (4)
← 2016
2018 →
All statistics correct as of 20 September 2017.

The 2017 Nigeria Professional Football League was the 46th season of the top Nigerian professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1972, and the 27th since the rebranding of the league as the "Professional League". Plateau United won the league on the Saturday, 9 September 2017 with a 2-0 victory over Enugu Rangers.[2]

Enugu Rangers won the previous edition, their seventh league title and first since 1984.

Plateau United's win of this edition is their first ever title, which came in their second season after being promoted to the top flight. It was intended to be rational, meaning in reserve purposes.

Clubs

A total of 20 teams contested the league, these included 16 teams from the previous season and four teams promoted from the Nigeria National League. The season began on 14 January.

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Locations of the Nigeria Premier League 2017 teams

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Plateau United (C) 38 19 9 10 49 25 +24 66 Qualification to the 2018 CAF Champions League
2 MFM 38 19 5 14 42 41 +1 62
3 Enyimba 38 18 7 13 43 28 +15 61 Qualification to the 2018 CAF Confederation Cup
4 Akwa United 38 17 9 12 46 30 +16 60
5 Nasarawa United 38 16 8 14 35 30 +5 56
6 El Kanemi Warriors 38 18 2 18 39 43 −4 56
7 Lobi Stars 38 15 9 14 43 39 +4 54
8 Kano Pillars 38 16 6 16 38 35 +3 54
9 Ifeanyi Ubah 38 15 9 14 39 38 +1 54
10 Sunshine Stars 38 17 3 18 41 43 −2 54
11 Niger Tornadoes 38 16 6 16 31 35 −4 54
12 Abia Warriors 38 15 8 15 44 36 +8 53
13 Wikki Tourist 38 16 5 17 37 41 −4 53
14 Enugu Rangers 38 14 11 13 39 44 −5 53
15 Rivers United 38 14 10 14 34 33 +1 52
16 Katsina United 38 15 7 16 37 38 −1 52
17 Shooting Stars 38 13 11 14 32 38 −6 50 Relegation to the Nigeria National League
18 ABS 38 14 7 17 37 50 −13 49
19 Gombe United 38 11 10 17 32 49 −17 43
20 Remo Stars 38 7 8 23 27 49 −22 29
Updated to match(es) played on 9 September 2017. Source: NPFL.ng
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions

Season statistics

Goals

Top scorers

As of 10 May 2017
Rank Player Team Goals
1 Nigeria Stephen Odey MFM 14
2 Nigeria Abdullahi Ibrahim Alhassan Akwa United 10
Nigeria Samuel Mathias El Kanemi Warriors 10
3 Nigeria Sunday Adetunji Abia Warriors 8
Nigeria Mfon Udoh Enyimba 8
4 Nigeria Adamu Hassan Nasarawa United 7
Nigeria Victor Mboama Remo Stars 7
Nigeria Anthony Okpotu Lobi Stars 7
5 Nigeria Godwin Obaje Ifeanyi Ubah 6
6 Nigeria Prince Aggreh Ifeanyi Ubah 5
Nigeria Kingsley Eduwo Lobi Stars 5
Nigeria Daniel Etor Enugu Rangers 5
Nigeria Sunday Faleye Shooting Stars 5
Nigeria Austin Oladapo Gombe United 5
Nigeria Sikiru Olatunbosun MFM 5

Hat-tricks

Player For Against Result Date
Stephen Odey MFM Lobi Stars 4-0[3] 22 January 2017
Reuben Bala Plateau United ABS 4-1[4] 26 March 2017
Mu'azzam Akwa United Shooting Stars 4-2[5] 2 April 2017
Anthony Okpotu Lobi Stars Sunshine Stars 3-1[6] 19 April 2017

Attendances

Rangers International drew the highest average home attendance in the NPFL.

# Football club Average attendance
1 Rangers International 14,651
2 Kano Pillars 12,418
3 Gombe United 4,087
4 Wikki Tourists 3,864
5 Plateau United 3,450
6 El-Kanemi Warriors 2,742
7 ABS FC 2,656
8 Sunshine Stars 1,824
9 MFM FC 1,654
10 FC Ifeanyi Ubah 1,446
11 Nasarawa United 1,364
12 Shooting Stars 1,206
13 Enyimba FC 696
14 Remo Stars 672
15 Katsina United 636
16 Abia Warriors 288
17 Lobi Stars 276
18 Akwa United 250
19 Niger Tornadoes 135
20 Rivers United 104

References

  1. ^ "Plateau United wins Nigerian Professional Football League".
  2. ^ "Plateau United wins Nigerian Professional Football League".
  3. ^ "Matchday3 round-up: Champions Rangers finally off the mark, as Odey puts on show in Lagos". Archived from the original on 25 January 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  4. ^ "NPFL Match Day 15: Plateau United back on top, Enyimba defeat Rivers United - Daily Post Nigeria". Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  5. ^ "NPFL: Nasarawa United thump MFM, Enyimba edge Enugu Rangers - Goal.com". Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  6. ^ "Okpotu's treble sink Sunshine Stars - SuperSport - Football". Retrieved 20 April 2017.