2010–11 Nigeria Premier League

The 2010–11 Nigeria Premier League was the 40th season of the competition since its inception, and the 21st since the rebranding of the league as the "Professional League". Enyimba International were the defending champions.

Nigeria Premier League
Season2010–11
ChampionsDolphins
RelegatedPlateau United, Zamfara United, Crown F.C., JUTH F.C.
2012 CAF Champions LeagueDolphins
Sunshine Stars
2012 CAF Confederation CupWarri Wolves
Heartland (cup winner)
Matches played380
Goals scored786 (2.07 per match)
Top goalscorerJude Aneke - Kaduna United (20)
Biggest home winPlateau United 7-0 vs Kwara United (23 Oct. 2011)
Biggest away winKwara United 2-0 at JUTH (11 Dec. 2010)
Sharks F.C. 3-1 at Crown F.C. (2 November 2011)
Highest scoringEnugu Rangers 5, Ocean Boys 2 (21 Nov. 2010)
Sharks 4, Crown 3 (26 Feb. 2011)
Plateau United 7-0 vs Kwara United (23 Oct. 2011)
Longest winning runDolphins - 5 games from 22 Dec. 2010 to 22 Jan. 2011
Longest unbeaten run8 games: Bukola Babes (6 wins, 2 ties) from 22 Dec. to 16 Feb.
Longest winless run9 games: Plateau United (3 ties, 6 losses) from 23 Dec. to 20 Feb.
Longest losing runCrown - 5 games from 22 Dec. to 23 Jan.
Highest attendance26,000: Enyimba at K. Pillars
11 Dec. 2010
2012

The season was originally supposed to start 25 September, then was delayed to 2 October. However after a series of meetings and threatened lawsuits, the league announced that it would play with 24 teams, including the four teams relegated from the previous season. The tentative compromise plans included two divisions of 12 teams each with the top two making the season-ending Super Four, mirroring the league's format in the 2006 and 2007 seasons. This idea was canceled by the NPL on October 7 and the league returned to 20 teams for the season.

The season was delayed again to start the weekend of 23 October,[1] and delayed yet again to 6 November because of issues with the assignment of referees. Due to enforcement of minimum pitch standards, several teams have been made to play in different stadiums outside their home cities.

The second half of the season began 11 May after a six-week break, including two delays for national elections. The season was finished on 13 November 2011 after another six-week delay to allow for the Federation Cup and teams playing on the continent to concentrate on their fixtures.

Clubs

Team name Home city Home venue First year of current stint in League
Bukola Babes Ilorin Kwara State Stadium/Tafawa Balewa Stadium[2] 2010
Crown FC Ogbomosho Ilaro Stadium 2010
Dolphins Port Harcourt Liberation Stadium 2009
Enugu Rangers Enugu Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium 1973
Enyimba Aba Enyimba International Stadium 1994
Gombe United Gombe Abubarkar Tafawa Balewa Stadium/Pantami Stadium 1994
Heartland Owerri Dan Anyiam Stadium/U.J. Esuene Stadium 1975
JUTH F.C. Jos Rwang Pam Stadium/Kaduna Township Stadium 2010
Kaduna United Kaduna Kaduna Township Stadium 2008
Kano Pillars Kano Sani Abacha Stadium 2001
Kwara United Ilorin Kwara State Stadium/Offa Stadium/MKO Abiola Stadium 2009
Lobi Stars Makurdi Jalingo City Stadium/Aper Aku Stadium 1999
Niger Tornadoes Minna Minna Township Stadium[3] 2003
Ocean Boys Brass Samson Siasia Stadium 2006
Plateau United Jos Rwang Pam Stadium/Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium 2010
Sharks Port Harcourt Sharks Stadium 2008
Shooting Stars Ibadan MKO Abiola Stadium/Liberty Stadium 2009
Sunshine Stars Akure Gateway Stadium (Ijebu Ode) 2007
Warri Wolves Warri Warri Township Stadium 2008
Zamfara United Gusau Sardauna Memorial Stadium/Sani Abacha Stadium 2007

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Dolphins (C) 38 23 4 11 49 30 +19 73 Qualification for 2012 CAF Champions League
2 Sunshine Stars 38 22 5 11 55 35 +20 71
3 Warri Wolves 38 19 9 10 44 29 +15 66 Qualification for 2012 CAF Confederation Cup
4 Kano Pillars 38 20 5 13 46 31 +15 65 Qualification for WAFU Club Championship
5 Sharks 38 17 12 9 43 37 +6 63
6 Enugu Rangers 38 19 5 14 47 30 +17 62
7 Enyimba 38 19 4 15 44 28 +16 61
8 Kaduna United 38 16 8 14 42 40 +2 56
9 Kwara United 38 16 5 17 40 45 5 53
10 Lobi Stars 38 15 8 15 34 40 6 53
11 Heartland 38 16 4 18 39 35 +4 52 Qualification for 2012 CAF Confederation Cup
12 Bukola Babes 38 15 6 17 35 37 2 51
13 Gombe United 38 14 8 16 34 37 3 50
14 Niger Tornadoes 38 13 11 14 35 43 8 50
15 Shooting Stars 38 13 8 17 34 39 5 47
16 Ocean Boys 38 13 8 17 37 44 7 47
17 Plateau United (R) 38 12 8 18 42 49 7 44 Relegated to Nigeria National League
18 Zamfara United (R) 38 11 6 21 26 58 32 39
19 Crown (R) 38 11 4 23 34 48 14 37
20 JUTH F.C. (R) 38 8 8 22 26 51 25 32
Updated to match(es) played on 13 November 2011. Source: Nigeria Premier League
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated

Personnel and kits

Team Manager Captain Kit Makers Sponsor
Bukola Babes Nigeria Kabiru Sulaiman Nigeria Abubakar Yusuf
Crown FC Nigeria Oladunni Oyekale Nigeria Johnson Abiodun
Dolphins Nigeria Stanley Eguma Nigeria Emmanuel Godwin
Enugu Rangers Nigeria Alphonsus Dike Nigeria Austin Iyangbe
Enyimba Nigeria Okey Emordi Nigeria Okechukwu Odita Joma
Gombe United Nigeria Bernard Ogbe
Heartland Netherlands Lodewijk de Kruif Nigeria Chinedu Efugh
JUTH F.C. Cameroon Emmanuel Deutsch
Kaduna United Belgium Maurice Cooreman Nigeria Papa Idris
Kano Pillars Nigeria Ladan Bosso
Kwara United Nigeria Kadiri Ikhana
Lobi Stars Nigeria John Zaki
Niger Tornadoes Nigeria Justin Tenger Nigeria Kelvin Njoku
Ocean Boys Nigeria Samson Unuanel
Plateau United Nigeria Nduka Ndubuisi Nigeria Ajibade Omolade
Sharks Nigeria John Obuh Nigeria Odinga Odinga
Shooting Stars Nigeria Fatai Amoo Nigeria Shakiru Lawal OWU Sportswear
Sunshine Stars Nigeria Gbenga Ogunbote Nigeria James Moses
Warri Wolves England Paul Aigbogun Nigeria Goodluck Nnamadu Lotto Oceanic Bank
Zamfara United Nigeria Bello Garba Gusau

News

  • December 12- Ocean Boys defender Emmanuel Okoli collapsed 39 minutes into a game vs. Niger Tornadoes and died en route to the hospital.
  • December 16- The league was named the "MTN Premier League" after the NFF secured sponsorship from the MTN Group.[4] However sponsorship was rescinded January 27 and the bidding was reopened.[5]
  • January 8- In Abeokuta, Shooting Stars and Tornadoes played the first night game in Nigeria's top division in twenty-nine years.
  • Due to unrest in the city of Jos, on January 13 JUTH announced they were moving home games to Kaduna and Plateau United were going to play in Enugu for one month.

Managerial (head coach) changes

Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Incoming manager Date of appointment
Warri Wolves Lawrence Akpokona fired end of 2009-10 season England Paul Aigbogun 2 September 2010
Kwara United Nigeria Justin Tenger fired end of 2009-10 season Nigeria Kadiri Ikhana 17 July 2010[6]
Sunshine Stars Solomon Ogbeide fired Aug. 18 2010 Nigeria Gbenga Ogunbote Aug. 18 2010[7]
Gombe United Ben Duamlong Resigned Oct.8 2010 Nigeria Bernard Ogbe Nov. 5 2010[8]
Heartland Nigeria Samson Siasia resigned to take Super Eagles job Dec. 1 2010 Netherlands Lodewijk de Kruif Feb. 7 2011
Niger Tornadoes Nigeria Ladan Bosso fired Nov. 26 2010 Nigeria Samson Unuanel (interim) Nov. 26 2010
Crown F.C. Ganiyu Salami fired Jan. 22 2011 Nigeria Oladunni Oyekale Jan. 22 2011
Kano Pillars F.C. Salisu Yusuf resigned to become Super Eagles assistant Jan. 1 2011 Nigeria Ladan Bosso[9] Jan. 23 2011
Niger Tornadoes Nigeria Samson Unuanel interim period ends Feb. 6 2011 Nigeria Justin Tenger

[10]

Feb. 6 2011
JUTH F.C. Tunde Abdulrahman fired Feb. 17 2011 Cameroon Emmanuel Deutsch Feb. 28 2011
Ocean Boys F.C. Larry Eceli fired May 20, 2011 Nigeria Samson Unuanel

[11]

May 20, 2011
Bukola Babes F.C. Festus Allen suspended/resigned June 8, 2011 Nigeria Kabiru Sulaiman

[12]

June 8, 2011

References

  1. NPL kicks off October 23 with record 24 clubs
  2. "Bukola_Babes_pick_Bauchi_as_new_home". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2010-12-27.
  3. "Niger moves to avert Tornadoes' relocation". Archived from the original on 2010-12-28. Retrieved 2010-12-27.
  4. MTN win NPL sponsorship rights
  5. "MTN no longer league sponsor". Archived from the original on 2011-01-31. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
  6. Kwara United To Unveil Ikhana As New Coach
  7. "Sunshine sacks Ogbeide (Tribune)". Archived from the original on 2010-08-21. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
  8. "Bernard Ogbe joins Gombe United". Archived from the original on 2011-09-10. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
  9. "Bosso joins Pillars in Benin". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
  10. Ocean Boys sack Eceli
  11. Bukola suspend coach Allen
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