Reigning Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) champions, Remo Stars, will open their 2025/26 title defense with a high-stakes clash against former champions Rivers United, according to the season’s fixture draw held on a rainy Monday afternoon in Abuja.

The new NPFL season will see each of the 20 participating clubs play 38 matches — 19 home and 19 away — across 38 match weeks. Ten matches are scheduled per round.

In a bid to manage crowd logistics and security, the NPFL has structured the fixture list to ensure that clubs from the same state do not play home matches on the same weekend.

This applies to pairs such as Abia Warriors and Enyimba FC, and Kano Pillars and Barau FC, whose home fixtures are strategically alternated throughout the season.