The 2025–2026 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) will no longer host Kun Khalifa FC, the team stated in protest of what it called a “unfair sanction” from the league’s administrators.
Michael Amaefula, the club’s CEO, said in a statement on Wednesday that Kun Khalifa would no longer take part in a league “that disregards the challenges faced by its member clubs and prioritises punishment over fairness and justice.”
The Imo-based team’s failure to travel to Maiduguri for their Matchday 24 matchup against El Kanemi Warriors on February 2, 2026, prompted the NPFL to initiate disciplinary action. The league fined Kun Khalifa ₦10 million and docked him three points and three goals after finding that his excuses for missing the match were “unacceptable.”
However, Kun Khalifa FC maintained that it had officially informed the NPFL of its logistical issues, “including the breakdown of our team’s vehicles,” and said that the league had disregarded those messages. Additionally, the club claimed that the game was “unilaterally” rescheduled without sufficient notice.
“The NPFL’s decision to forfeit three points and three goals, along with a N10 million fine, is not only disproportionate but a clear indication of our club’s bias,” the statement said.
“We think the penalties are a mockery of justice and show a lack of will to interact with clubs in a fair and open manner.
“To make sure that clubs are handled equally and with respect, we implore the NPFL to evaluate their policies and procedures. We also urge other teams to demand more accountability and improvements from the league administration.
In the 2025–2026 NPFL season, Kun Khalifa FC is one of four privately owned teams, along with Remo Stars, Ikorodu City, and Barau FC. They have risen quickly through the lower divisions in just five years, and this season is their first time playing in Nigeria’s top flight.
In August 2025, the team made a public plea for funding to cover the expenses of playing in the NPFL, acknowledging that it could find it difficult to complete away games without help.
In 2012, after missing four straight games, Ocean Boys was disqualified, marking the last occasion a club failed to finish an NPFL season.
