# 2014 Nigeria Professional Football League

The 2014 Nigeria Professional Football League was the 43rd season of the competition since its inception, and the 24th since the rebranding of the league as the "Professional League". The season was scheduled to kick off on November 22, about one month after the conclusion of the 2013 season. However, on that date the league's start was postponed to mid-February until after the 2014 African Nations Championship and to allow the teams to complete all their FIFA licensing. It was delayed again until March.

## Clubs

Sixteen teams from the previous season and four teams promoted from the Nigeria National League (Crown F.C., Giwa FC, Taraba F.C. and Abia Warriors F.C.) are participating in this season. With Abia Warriors debuting it means the Abia State derby with Enyimba will feature at the highest level of Nigerian football for the first time.
| Team name | Home city | Home venue | First year of current stint in League |
| Akwa United | Uyo | Uyo Township Stadium | 2011 |
| Bayelsa United F.C. | Yenegoa | Sapele Stadium/Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium | 2012 |
| Dolphins | Port Harcourt | Liberation Stadium | 2009 |
| Gombe United | Gombe | Pantami Stadium | 1994 |
| Heartland | Owerri | Dan Anyiam Stadium | 1975 |
| Kaduna United | Kaduna | Kaduna Township Stadium | 2008 |
| Lobi Stars | Makurdi | Emmanuel Atongo Stadium, Katsina-Ala/Aper Aku Stadium | 1999 |
| Nasarawa United | Lafia | Lafia Township Stadium | 2012 |
| Nembe City F.C. | Nembe | Krisdera Hotel Stadium, Port Harcourt | 2012 |
| Sunshine Stars | Akure | Akure Township Stadium | 2007 |
| El-Kanemi Warriors | Maiduguri | Pillars Stadium(Kano) | 2012 |
| Enugu Rangers | Enugu | Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium | 1973 |
| Enyimba | Aba | Enyimba International Stadium | 1994 |
| Kano Pillars | Kano | Sani Abacha Stadium/Pillars Stadium | 2001 |
| Sharks | Port Harcourt | Sharks Stadium | 2008 |
| Warri Wolves | Warri | Warri Township Stadium | 2008 |
| Abia Warriors F.C. | Umuahia | Umuahia Township Stadium | 2013 |
| Giwa FC | Jos | Rwang Pam Stadium | 2013 |
| Crown F.C. | Ogbomosho | Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan | 2013 |
| Taraba F.C. | Jalingo | Jalingo City Stadium | 2013 |

## Table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Kano Pillars (C) | 38 | 19 | 8 | 11 | 57 | 41 | +16 | 65 | Qualification for 2015 CAF Champions League |
| 2 | Enyimba (Q) | 38 | 18 | 10 | 10 | 50 | 27 | +23 | 64 | Qualification for 2015 CAF Champions League |
| 3 | Warri Wolves (Q) | 38 | 18 | 7 | 13 | 49 | 38 | +11 | 61 | Qualification for 2015 CAF Confederation Cup |
| 4 | Giwa | 38 | 17 | 9 | 12 | 44 | 34 | +10 | 60 | |
| 5 | Nasarawa United | 38 | 17 | 8 | 13 | 43 | 37 | +6 | 59 | |
| 6 | Lobi Stars | 38 | 19 | 2 | 17 | 40 | 46 | −6 | 59 | |
| 7 | Abia Warriors | 38 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 51 | 40 | +11 | 58 | |
| 8 | Enugu Rangers | 38 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 45 | 37 | +8 | 58 | |
| 9 | Dolphins | 38 | 15 | 10 | 13 | 45 | 34 | +11 | 55 | |
| 10 | Heartland | 38 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 36 | 27 | +9 | 55 | |
| 11 | Sunshine Stars | 38 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 51 | 47 | +4 | 54 | |
| 12 | Taraba | 38 | 16 | 5 | 17 | 35 | 41 | −6 | 53 | |
| 13 | Sharks | 38 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 42 | 39 | +3 | 52 | |
| 14 | El-Kanemi Warriors | 38 | 14 | 9 | 15 | 43 | 35 | +8 | 51 | |
| 15 | Bayelsa United | 38 | 16 | 3 | 19 | 50 | 54 | −4 | 51 | |
| 16 | Akwa United | 38 | 14 | 9 | 15 | 27 | 34 | −7 | 51 | |
| 17 | Gombe United (R) | 38 | 14 | 8 | 16 | 42 | 41 | +1 | 50 | Relegated to Nigeria National League |
| 18 | Crown (R) | 38 | 11 | 6 | 21 | 30 | 56 | −26 | 39 | Relegated to Nigeria National League |
| 19 | Kaduna United (R) | 38 | 11 | 5 | 22 | 33 | 55 | −22 | 38 | Relegated to Nigeria National League |
| 20 | Nembe City (R) | 38 | 6 | 10 | 22 | 23 | 73 | −50 | 28 | Relegated to Nigeria National League |

## News

* - On February 21, Sunshine Stars F.C. was involved in an accident on the road between Ijebu-Ode and Akure. Five players and the team masseur went to the hospital with serious injuries. However, nobody was killed.
* - On the eve of the league start, Giwa F.C. and Nembe City (the last two Nigeria National League champions and the league's only two privately funded clubs) were withdrawn from league fixtures by the LMC for failing to provide guarantees of the minimum salary for players, leaving the league at 18 teams. Both teams appealed to be reinstated on March 20. Giwa was admitted back on the 2nd of April and Nembe City was readmitted the next day.
* - After the Week 1 games, Abia Warriors refused to travel to Maiduguri to play El-Kanemi Warriors, citing fears for safety after recent Boko Haram attacks. The league then refused to sanction games there, and El Kanemi nominally agreed to move games this season to Kano.
* - The Week 26 fixtures were suspended when the Nigeria Referees Association went on strike. The league resumed 17 September.

### Managerial (head coach) changes

| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
| Nasarawa United | Kadiri Ikhana | Retired | 20 Oct. 2013(preseason) | Mohammed Baba Ganaru | 22 Nov. 2013 |
| Enugu Rangers | Felix Emordi | Resigned | 21 Oct. 2013 | John Obuh | 28 Oct. 2013 |
| Akwa United | Justin Tenger | Contract expired | 1 Nov. 2013 | Emmanuel King | 10 Dec. 2013 |
| Kano Pillars | Mohammed Baba Ganaru | Resigned to take over Nasarawa United | 22 Nov. 2013 | Felix Emordi | 30 Jan. 2014 |
| Bayelsa United | Ladan Bosso | Resigned to take over Abia Warriors | 21 February 2014 | Richard Bubagha | 28 Feb. 2014 |
| Giwa FC | Abdul Bidemi Biffo | Resigned | 13 April | Aminu Musa(Interim)/Kadiri Ikhana | 14 April/25 May |
| Kaduna United | Saleh Lato | Deceased | 20 April | Hassan Abubakar | 27 April |
| Giwa FC | Kadiri Ikhana | Resigned to take Enyimba job | 1 July | Duke Udi | 1 July |
| Enyimba | Zachary Baraje | Fired | 1 July | Kadiri Ikhana | 1 July |
| Gombe United | Maurice Cooreman | Resigned- Illness | July | Augustine Eguavoen | 9 July |

## Top scorers
### 23 goals

* Mfon Udoh Enyimba FC