Nigerian Football
MTN secures exclusive right to NPFL broadcast streaming
Following the Joint Venture between the Nigeria Premier League Ltd, GTI and Propel Sports Africa to stream Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) games live, Propel Sports has announced MTN Nigeria as the exclusive broadcast partners of the Nigerian football league.
Consequently, the NPFL matches will be streamed live on mobile devices on the MTN Network.
The streaming will cover eight live games each weekend, which will translate to over 300 games per season.
Basil Kabbani, Chairman of Propel Sports Africa stated: “The engagement with the team at MTN has been amazing, from the Digital VAS, to the Marketing and Commercial team, their approach has been consistently professional, and their enthusiasm for the NPFL content has been infectious. From the very start of our negotiations, we knew MTN was the right partner to give our great content, the platform it deserves.”
The deal, concluded by Propel Sports Africa President, Edward Simons and MTN Chief Operating Officer Hassan Jabar, will include in-and-post-game highlights delivered in real time to MTN subscribers through the NPFL Live OTT platform.
Propel Sports Africa’s in-Country Director Victor Okobi commented, “I cannot think of a better network than MTN to showcase the best of Nigerian soccer on NPFL-Live”.
“We are excited about this opportunity to deliver entertaining content to our subscribers. It is a testament to our commitment to sports development in Nigeria. “We know Nigerians love football and we are glad to partner with Propel Sports Africa and GTI to deliver Nigerian Premier League matches in high definition to our customers.
“We are confident that this partnership will transform the reception and appreciation of the Nigeria Premier Football League,” said Hassan Jaber, Chief Operating Officer, MTN Nigeria.
Commenting for GTI, the Group Managing Director, Abubakar Lawal stated: “This is the testimonial of the journey of the NPFL to the global space.
“The partnership is very good for the football ecosystem of Nigeria as we strive to deploy technology and efficient solutions to create value for all the stakeholders and other prospective partners of the league.”
Commenting for NPFL, the Chairman Gbenga Elegbeleye, stated: “The Nigeria Premier Football League is excited about the partnership potentials to elevate the league’s visibility and engagement.
“We are thrilled to welcome MTN as our exclusive telecommunications partner. Their expertise and commitment to innovation align seamlessly with our vision for the league.
“With MTN’s support, we look forward to not only reaching a wider audience but also enhancing the overall experience for our dedicated fans. This groundbreaking collaboration marks a significant milestone in the realms of sports and technology, promising an elevated viewing experience for football enthusiasts across the nation.
“The partnership underscores a shared commitment to bringing the excitement of football closer to the hearts of millions of Nigerians.
“The partnership will also redefine how football is experienced, engaging fans in every goal, tackle and victory with unparalleled clarity and convenience.”
The miserable run of Akwa United and Ikorodu City came to an end after six games in the Nigerian Premier League this season. Both teams were initially glued at the bottom of the league table.
They now got respite as Akwa United beat Kano Pillar by 2-0 while Ikorodu City even did what could be considered an upset, beating Bendel Insurance 3-0.
Remo Stars bounced back to the top of the log after a 3-0 defeat of Nasarawa United. Shooting Stars are yet to get their rhythm this season, playing a barren draw with Enyimba in Ibadan.
Kwara United who got their first full points of the season last week after a 1-0 defeat of Remo Stars could not consolidate as they were beaten 1-0 by Abia Warriors.
Heartland under Emmanuel Amuneke are gradually recovering as they got a valuable away draw against El-Kanemi Warriors.
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
It is 75 years since Nigeria’s national football team first played an international match. That was on 8 October 1949 when the first set of Nigeria’s assembly on their return voyage stopped over in Freetown and engaged Sierra Leone in an international football match. Nigeria won 2-0, setting a chain of positive results on 8 October.
The country never lost any competitive duel on that date. More significantly, the Super Eagles first qualified for the World Cup on an 8 October date.
That was in 1993 when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Algeria in the quest for USA ‘94 World Cup.
Nigeria became the first English-speaking African country to qualify for the World Cup. Another significance of the October 8 match at the July 5 Stadium, Algiers is that Nigeria were unbeaten for the first time by Algeria at home.
The only deviation from the 8 October Magic was in 2015 when Nigeria lost 2-0 to Congo in a friendly match.
Twenty-six years after Nigeria’s debut international match, one of Africa’s biggest football nations, Egypt fell to the October 8 magic, losing 4-0 to Nigeria in the last stage of the triangular World Cup qualifying series for Argentina ’78.
Up till October 15, 2013, when Ghana beat Egypt 6-1 in Kumasi, the October 8, 1977 duel with Nigeria remained Egypt’s biggest loss in a World Cup qualifying match.
Before the 1977 duel, Nigeria in 1963 played a friendly match with Liberia in Monrovia. The October 8 magic was active, even in an away match. Nigeria drew 2-2 in their very first encounter with Liberia. It was shortly after the team had, through a protest, upturned a victory by Guinea to pick Nigeria’s very first African Nations’ Cup ticket.
Little wonder then that when FIFA suspended Nigeria in 2010, the world governing body provisionally lifted the ban on October 8!
Nigeria on 8 October
- 1949 – Freetown (Friendly) Sierra Leone 0-2 Nigeria
- 1963 – Monrovia (Friendly) Liberia 2-2 Nigeria
- 1977 – Lagos (World Cup qualifier) Nigeria 4-0 Egypt
- 1993 – Algiers (World Cup qualifier) Algeria 1-1 Nigeria… qualify for USA ‘94.
- 2005 – Abuja (World Cup qualifier) Nigeria 5-1 Zimbabwe
- 2010 – FIFA, in apparent respect to the 8 October magic, provisionally lifted a ban imposed on Nigeria.
- 2011 – Abuja (African Nations Cup qualifier) Nigeria 2-2 Guinea. Although undefeated, Nigeria failed to make it to the 2012 African Nations Cup.
- 2015 – D.R. Congo beat Nigeria 2-0 in Visé, Belgium. The ‘October 8 Magic’ is finally broken.
Rivers United have launched themselves to the top of the log at the end of the match day 5 of the Nigeria Premier League. The Port Harcourt side beat Akwa United 2-1 to go afloat after initial leaders, Remo Stars crumbled to a 1-0 defeat at Kwara United in Ilorin on Sunday.
It was Remo Stars’ first defeat in the season. Rivers United are now with 13 points. Stephen Mayo put Rivers United ahead after 31 minutes. But it turned a temporary lead as Akwa United bounced back almost at the blast of the referee’s whistle for the second half.
Friday Apollos levelled up for Akwa United before Ndifreke Effiong Udo scored the winner in the 85th minute.
Sunday Results
- Kwara United 1-0 Remo Stars
- Rangers International 1-0 Abia Warriors
- Heartland FC 2-0 Niger Tornadoes
- Kano Pillars 2-0 Sunshine Stars
- Plateau United 1-0 Ikorodu City
- Rivers United 2-1 Akwa United
- Enyimba 3-0 Katsina United* Suspended
- Nasarawa 0-0 Bayelsa United
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