By Mbah Emmanuel Nnaemeka
The countdown is over. The 2025/26 Nigeria National League (NNL) season officially kicks off on November 8, and the draw has already set the stage for one of the fiercest promotion races in years.
Heartland FC, handed a place in Conference A, will begin their campaign on the road against Crown FC in what promises to be a stern early test. Elsewhere in the same conference, Abia Comets clash with Smart City, Beyond Limits FA face Godswill Akpabio FC, Edel FC welcome Sunshine Stars, and E-World United go head-to-head with Inter Lagos.
In Conference B, former NPFL champions Akwa United and ambitious newcomers Sporting Lagos headline the fixtures. Akwa United open against Solution FC, while Sporting Lagos host Osun United. Other games pit Abakaliki FC against Rovers FC, Ekiti United against Stormers, and Dakkada FC against First Bank of Lagos.
Conference C revives some of Nigerian football’s traditional rivalries. ABS FC take on Sokoto United, Basira FC face Mighty Jets, Doma United battle Kada Warriors, and Lobi Stars host City FC Abuja.
Meanwhile, Conference D kicks off with Bichi First FC against Yobe Desert Stars, Jigawa Golden Stars against Kebbi United, Ranchers Bees versus Gombe United, and Adamawa United against Sporting Supreme Abuja.
For the first time, there will be no Super 8 playoffs. Instead, the top team in each conference earns automatic promotion to the NPFL, raising the stakes from day one. At the other end of the table, relegation looms: the bottom three in Conferences A and B will drop, alongside the bottom two in Conferences C and D.
With six months of football stretching from November to April, fans can expect a relentless race for promotion, survival, and bragging rights in what has long been regarded as Nigeria’s most competitive league.
