Euromatch, a European sports entertainment brand, has announced a $7.5 million title sponsorship deal with the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) ahead of the 2026/2027 season.
The three-year partnership, unveiled in Abuja on Wednesday, will see Euromatch commit $2.5 million annually to the domestic football league, equivalent to about N3 billion per year.
Sacli Semih, Group Chairman of Euromatch, said the investment was driven by Nigeria’s economic potential and the quality of football talent in the country.
He said Nigeria represented one of the most attractive markets in Africa, while its football talent remained significantly undervalued despite the number of Nigerian players competing in leading leagues around the world.
“We are a growing sports entertainment brand from Europe, and football is our core product.
“Africa is one of the fastest-growing markets, and Nigeria is the heart of Africa. It is the biggest economy, in my view, with enormous potential.
“When it comes to football, Nigerian talent is the most underrated talent,” Semih said.
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Semih said Euromatch was prepared to take a long-term view of its investment in the NPFL, despite existing challenges affecting the commercial appeal of the domestic league.
According to him, the company expects the partnership to generate stronger returns from its second year as improvements in the league’s visibility, quality and commercial value begin to take effect.
He said the partnership would seek to bring the NPFL closer to European standards while expanding its reach to football audiences outside Nigeria.
“When we transfer the Nigerian league to European standards, under the name Euromatch NPFL, the visibility of the league in Europe alone will increase,” he said.
Semih added that increased international visibility would also create a platform for Nigerian players and the league itself to attract greater attention from global football stakeholders.
“There are so many players playing in England and other top leagues, but nobody comes to watch the league here.
“So, we are going to help people see the league. Doing that will also help our brand,” he said.
Ibrahim Gusau, President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), described the partnership as a major development for Nigerian football and a sign that efforts to reposition the domestic league were beginning to attract commercial interest.
Gusau said the NFF had spent the past four years working to stabilise the league, noting that consistency in the organisation and scheduling of the competition was critical to attracting investors.
“I must say that I am the happiest man today because we have really worked hard for the last four years to ensure that we stabilise the league because it is the key.
“When you have a league where you don’t know when it will start and you don’t know when it will end, it is going to be difficult to bring anybody to invest his money in,” he said
He said greater stability, visibility and improved standards would ultimately enhance the commercial value of the NPFL and create a stronger platform for investment in Nigerian football.
The sponsorship comes as the NPFL prepares to commence its 2026/2027 season on Friday, with the Euromatch partnership expected to provide additional commercial backing as the league seeks to strengthen its profile domestically and internationally.
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