The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) is set to bring back Friday night fixtures as part of a revised matchday calendar featuring earlier kick-offs for selected weekend games.
Announced on Sunday, October 4, 2026, the new schedule is expected to begin on Matchday Nine with Shooting Stars hosting Ranchers Bees at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan.
The match is slated for Friday, October 16, at 6pm.
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It will be Shooting Stars’ second Friday home fixture this season, following their 2-1 victory over Inter Lagos in the opening game on August 28.
Selected Saturday and Sunday fixtures will also be brought forward as the season progresses, giving supporters more opportunities to attend matches at different times.
The move revives an initiative announced by the NPFL on December 11, 2023, when the league unveiled plans to restore Friday evening matches as part of efforts to expand its commercial opportunities and attract end-of-week spectators.
The latest schedule extends that approach, with the Shooting Stars-Ranchers Bees clash set to open the new Friday-night programme.