No room for NPFL slot buying — Elegbeleye

The Chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Otunba Gbenga Elegbeleye, has declared that there will no longer be room for slot buying in the Nigerian top flight.

Speaking amid rumours that a club was about to sell its NPFL slot to a team from the lower division, Elegbeleye insisted that the era of clubs buying their way to the NPFL was over.

Explaining that the NPFL board had taken the decision to stop such an activity since last season, the second Vice President, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), stated that the decision remains unchanged.

“Any team that is relegated must go and fight its way back on the field, not through the back door anymore.

“We have taken a stand on that. No team will be allowed to engage in slot buying again as far as the NPFL is concerned,” the former Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC) said.

He also disclosed that the Board will be strict in ensuring compliance with the standard of pitches to host its matches.

“There will not be approval for venues that failed to meet the required standard.

“Teams that fail in this regard will have to choose alternative venues or we pick venues for them.

“Suitable playing turf is one of the factors that contribute to good football and this is also what we are going to focus on in the new season,” he said.

The Ondo State-born administrator reiterated the board’s zero tolerance for match-fixing and unlawful betting, saying the league organising body will wield its hammer on any offender, be it a club or an individual.

The 2026/27 NPFL season is slated to commence on Friday, August 28, with Shooting Stars Sports Club playing host to Inter Lagos at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan.