2025–26 Nigeria National League

Nigeria National League
The Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne will host the NNL Super 4
Season2025–26
Dates8 November 2025 – 12 April 2026
2026
Champions
Promoted
RelegatedDakkada
Sporting Supreme
Matches
Top goalscorerPaulinus Okon
Akwa United
(4 goals)
Biggest home winInter Lagos 5–0
Abia Comets
(7 March 2026)
Biggest away win0–3
4 games
Highest scoringStormers SC 4–2 Abakaliki
(11 January 2026)
Osun United 3–3
Abakaliki
(20 December 2025)
Stormers SC 4–2 Osun United
(6 December 2025)
Godswill Akpabio FC 5–1
First Bank FC
(15 November 2025)
Longest winning runAkwa United (5 games)
Longest unbeaten runDoma United (6 games)
Longest winless runFirst Bank FC (8 games)
Longest losing runFirst Bank FC (4 games)
← 2024-25
2026–27 →

The 2025–26 NNL (formerly the National Division 1) is the 47th season of the Nigeria National League under its current title and the 35th season under its current league division format.

The Nigeria National League (NNL) is the second-highest tier in the Nigerian football league system after the Nigeria Premier Football League, and is currently contested by 36 clubs.[1]

Team changes

The following teams have changed division since the 2024–25 season:

Teams Information

Conference A

Team Location Stadium Capacity
Gateway United Abeokuta MKO Abiola Stadium
10,000
Abia Comets Umuahia Umuahia Township Stadium 5,000
Beyond Limits Ikenne Remo Stars Stadium 5,000
Crown FC Ogbomosho Soun Stadium
–
Dakkada Uyo Uyo Township Stadium
5,000
Edel Awka Awka City Stadium
Sunshine Stars Akure Dipo Dina International Stadium
20,000
[a]
Heartland Owerri Dan Anyiam Stadium
10,000
Inter Lagos Lagos Mobolaji Johnson Arena
10,000
Smart City

Conference B

Team Location Stadium Capacity
Abakaliki Abakaliki Pa Ngele Oruta Township Stadium
First Bank FC Lagos Mobolaji Johnson Arena
10,000
Ekiti United Ekiti Oluyemi Kayode Stadium
Godswill Akpabio FC Uyo Uyo Township Stadium
5,000
Akwa United[8]
Stormers SC Abeokuta MKO Abiola Stadium
10,000
Osun United Osogbo Osogbo Township Stadium
10,000
Rovers Calabar U.J. Esuene Stadium
16,000
Solution FC Awka Awka City Stadium
3,000
Sporting Lagos Lagos Mobolaji Johnson Arena
10,000

Conference C

Team Location Stadium Capacity
Doma United Gombe Pantami Stadium 12,000
City F.C. Abuja
Lobi Stars Makurdi Aper Aku Stadium
8,000
[b]
Mighty Jets Jos New Jos Stadium
60,000
Basira Lafia Lafia City Stadium
10,000
Sokoto United Sokoto Giginya Memorial Stadium
Kada Warriors Kaduna Ahmadu Bello Stadium
16,000
ABS Ilorin Kwara State Stadium 18,000

Conference D

Team Location Stadium Capacity
Adamawa United Yola Ribadu Square Stadium 5,000
Bichi First Kano Bichi Stadium
Ranchers Bees Kaduna Ranchers Bees Stadium
10,000
Gombe United Gombe Pantami Stadium 12,000
Jigawa Golden Stars Dutse Kazaure Stadium
Kebbi United Birnin Kebbi FIFA Goal Project Pitch
Sporting Supreme Bwari Bwari Stadium
Yobe Desert Stars Damaturu Potiskum Stadium
2,000
  1. ^ Sunshine Stars play their home games at Dipo Dina International Stadium, Ijebu-Ode rather than their regular home ground, Akure Township Stadium, Akure due to renovation works.[7]
  2. ^ Lobi Stars play their home matches at Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu and previously at Lafia Township Stadium, Lafia and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi instead of their regular home ground Aper Aku Stadium, Makurdi due to renovation works.[9][10]

Format

The AGM adopted an abridged league format splitting the competition into four conferences — A, B, C and D — with the top club in each conference gaining automatic promotion to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL). The Super 8 play-off was scrapped and rather a new Super 4 competition will instead be introduced at the end of the season to decide the overall NNL champion.[11][12]

League table

South Region

Conference A

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Inter Lagos 12 7 3 2 22 9 +13 24 Promotion to NPFL

and Qualification for the Championship round

2 Beyond Limits 13 6 6 1 16 8 +8 24 Ineligible for promotion
3 Heartland 12 6 2 4 16 15 +1 20
4 Smart City 12 6 2 4 15 15 0 20
5 Edel FC 13 5 1 7 11 17 −6 16
6 Crown FC 13 4 3 6 15 14 +1 15
7 Sunshine Stars 12 4 3 5 12 12 0 15
8 Abia Comets 12 3 3 6 11 20 −9 12 Relegation to NLO
9 Gateway United 13 2 3 8 10 18 −8 9
10 Dakkada[a] (R) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Withdrew
Updated to match(es) played on 15 March 2026. Source: nnl
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored.
(R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ Dakkada withdrew after the draw due to disputes with the League Board over their conference placement after originally drawn into conference B.[13]

Conference B

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Akwa United 14 9 1 4 18 10 +8 28 Promotion to NPFL

and Qualification for the Championship round

2 Sporting Lagos 14 7 3 4 19 13 +6 24
3 Stormers SC 14 7 2 5 23 17 +6 23
4 Abakaliki FC 14 6 4 4 17 13 +4 22
5 Solutions FC 14 7 1 6 14 18 −4 22
6 Ekiti United 14 7 0 7 14 13 +1 21
7 Godswill Akpabio FC 14 5 4 5 22 18 +4 19
8 Osun United 14 5 2 7 14 19 −5 17 Relegation to NLO
9 Rovers 14 5 1 8 11 17 −6 16
10 First Bank FC 14 2 2 10 9 23 −14 8
Updated to match(es) played on 15 March 2026. Source: nnl
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored.

North Region

Conference C

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Doma United 12 7 2 3 15 8 +7 23 Promotion to NPFL

and Qualification for the Championship round

2 FC Basira 12 5 3 4 14 12 +2 18
3 Kada Warriors 12 4 5 3 8 7 +1 17
4 Lobi Stars 12 5 2 5 10 10 0 17
5 City FC 12 4 4 4 9 11 −2 16
6 Sokoto United 12 4 3 5 7 9 −2 15
7 ABS FC 12 4 2 6 9 14 −5 14 Relegation to NLO
8 Mighty Jets 12 4 1 7 12 13 −1 13
Updated to match(es) played on 15 March 2026. Source: nnl
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored.

Conference D

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Yobe Desert Stars 11 6 1 4 16 12 +4 19 Promotion to NPFL

and Qualification for the Championship round

2 Ranchers Bees 10 5 2 3 10 7 +3 17
3 Jigawa Golden Stars 10 4 3 3 11 12 −1 15
4 Bichi First 9 4 2 3 10 6 +4 14
5 Adamawa United 10 4 0 6 9 11 −2 12
6 Gombe United 10 3 3 4 6 9 −3 12
7 Kebbi United[a] 10 3 1 6 4 9 −5 10 Relegation to NLO
8 Sporting Supreme[b] 7 0 2 5 1 10 −9 2 Expelled, results annulled
Updated to match(es) played on 15 March 2026. Source: nnl
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored.
Notes:
  1. ^ The Kebbi United v Yobe Desert Stars match, which originally finished as a 1–0 win for Kebbi United, was later awarded as a 3–0 win to Yobe Desert Stars as Kebbi United fielded an ineligible player.[14]
  2. ^ Sporting Supreme were excluded from all Nigerian national competitions by the NNL on 21st December 2025 and their record were expunged.[15]

Championship Round NNL SUPER 4

Season statistics

Scoring

Top scorers

As of 23 February 2026
Rank Player Club Goals
1 Paulinus Okon Akwa United 4
2 Jamiu Sa'ad ABS FC 3
Eko Barine[16] Godswill Akpabio FC

References

  1. ^ "NNL". nff.com. 10 November 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  2. ^ "Ekiti united confirms participation in 2025/26 NNL season". bsnsports.com.ng. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  3. ^ "Stormers pick Nnl ticket". The Nation. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  4. ^ "Warri Wolves overpower Wikki to emerge NNL Super 8 champions". This Day. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  5. ^ "Wikki Tourist, Barau FC, Warri Wolves, Kun Khalifat secure promotion to NPFL". Premium Times. 10 July 2025.
  6. ^ "wikki-barau land in nnl super 8 as zamfara-go down". This Day. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  7. ^ "Why Sunshine Stars adopted Dipo Dina Stadium as home ground". Daily Post. Lagos, Nigeria. 3 September 2024.
  8. ^ "Akwa united adopts new home ground for 2025/26 NNL season". dailypost.ng. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  9. ^ "Lobi Stars adopt Lafia City Stadium as home ground for new season". Daily Post. Lagos, Nigeria. 19 September 2023.
  10. ^ "After 2 matches in Bauchi, Lobi Stars relocate to Enugu". Daily Trust. 7 March 2025.
  11. ^ "NNL New league format". tvcnews.tv. 17 September 2025. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
  12. ^ "NNL abolishes Super 8 as 2025-26 season kick off date confirmed". Daily Trust. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  13. ^ "Nnl confirms dakkada withdrawal from 2025/26 season". dailypost.ng. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
  14. ^ "Nnl, Kebbi United hit with three points deduction". dailypost.ng. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  15. ^ "Nnl expels Sporting Supreme, imposes five year ban". sports247.ng. 23 December 2025. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  16. ^ "After explosive start to nnl 2025/26, netting 3 goals, Enyimba signs Godswill Akpabio FC star". dailypost.ng. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
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