The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has agreed a three-year title sponsorship worth $7.5 million with Poland-based betting and gaming investment company EuroMatch, while 60 per cent of the income will go directly to the participating clubs.
Details of the agreement
- At the launch in Abuja, NPFL chairman Gbenga Elegbeleye confirmed that EuroMatch will provide $2.5 million each season across the three-year contract.
- He said the funding is expected to improve players’ salaries and welfare throughout Nigeria’s top division. Elegbeleye added that the league administration would not retain the clubs’ allocation: 60 per cent will be transferred straight to them, with the benefits ultimately expected to be reflected in footballers’ conditions.
- Elegbeleye presented the deal as the result of efforts to reposition the championship that began in 2022. He thanked NFF president Ibrahim Musa Gusau and former sports minister Sunday Dare for supporting that work.
- The NPFL chairman also stressed that players, rather than administrators, are the most important asset in Nigerian football. He called on those running the clubs and league to give greater priority to players’ exposure, development and financial support.
Reactions to the partnership
EuroMatch Group chairman Semih Sacli said the company was attracted by the possibilities in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country. He expressed confidence that the investment would prove successful and said EuroMatch expected to return the following year to demonstrate that joining forces with the NPFL had been the correct decision. Sacli also said the partnership was intended to help take the league to Europe and other international markets.
Former Super Eagles captain Daniel Amokachi, representing the ex-internationals who attended the unveiling, said the sponsorship could accelerate the domestic competition’s revival. He encouraged clubs to use their share of the money to improve the treatment and welfare of their players.
Amokachi described footballers as the central performers in the sport’s business and said putting substantial resources into their welfare would improve the NPFL’s prospects.
The ceremony took place at the Abuja Continental Hotel. Gusau and Dare were present, along with former Super Eagles players Austin Eguavoen, Samson Siasia and Brown Ideye.
Broadcasting and new-season plans
The sponsorship has been announced alongside a deal with Murphy Ben International that will make selected NPFL fixtures available free to watch on YouTube. Separately, the National Sports Commission has approved a record prize of ₦1 billion for the champions of the 2026/27 season.
Following its rebranding as the EuroMatch NPFL, the campaign will begin with a Southwest derby between Ibadan side Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) and newly promoted Inter Lagos. The other nine opening-round matches are scheduled for Sunday, August 30.
