Kun Khalifat have announced their immediate withdrawal from the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) following sanctions imposed on the club for failing to honour their Matchday 24 fixture against El Kanemi Warriors, Bold Sports reports.
The incident dates back to Monday, when the newly promoted side, currently bottom of the NPFL table, were unable to play the league fixture. The NPFL board subsequently charged Kun Khalifat for breaching the league’s Framework and Rules.
As punishment, the league deducted three points and three goals from Kun Khalifat, which were awarded to El Kanemi Warriors. The board also ruled that the club would be fined ₦10 million should a similar breach occur during the remainder of the 2025–26 season. Kun Khalifat were given 48 hours to appeal the decision.
However, rather than lodge an appeal, the club on Wednesday night announced their withdrawal from the league.
More Read
In a strongly worded statement, Kun Khalifat’s CEO Michael Amaefula explained that circumstances beyond their control prevented the club from honouring the fixture and that these issues had been communicated to the NPFL ahead of the match.
“We write to express our utmost shock, disappointment, and outrage following the sanctions imposed upon our club by the NPFL for failing to honour our Matchday 24 fixture against El-Kanemi Warriors on Monday, February 2, 2026,” the statement read.
“Our previous letter dated 1st February 2026, detailed the circumstances that led to our inability to participate in the match. We had informed the NPFL Board of our challenges, including the breakdown of our team’s vehicles, and sought their understanding. Instead of acknowledging our communication, the Board chose to unilaterally reschedule the match and subsequently imposed harsh sanctions upon our club.”
“The decision to forfeit 3 points and 3 goals, coupled with a fine of N10m, is not only disproportionate but a clear indication of the NPFL’s bias against our club. We believe that the sanctions are a travesty of justice and demonstrate a lack of willingness to engage with clubs in a fair and transparent manner.”
“As a result of these unfair sanctions, we, Kun Khalifa FC, hereby announce our immediate withdrawal from the Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL). We can no longer continue to be part of a league that disregards the challenges faced by its member clubs and priorities punishment over fairness and justice.”
“We urge the NPFL to review their policies and procedures to ensure that clubs are treated fairly and with respect. We also call upon other clubs to demand reforms and greater accountability from the league management.”
Despite their withdrawal, the club insisted they remain committed to Nigerian football: “We will continue to explore other avenues to showcase our talents and represent Nigerian football with pride.“
Since earning promotion to the NPFL for the first time in their history, Kun Khalifat have openly highlighted the financial challenges of competing in the league. As far back as August 2025, the club released a statement of urgent appeal for support to help them overcome financial hurdles and maintain their status in the top-flight.
In that statement, the club stressed that any failure to honour fixtures would not be due to a lack of commitment.
“If, for any reason, we are unable to honour a match or matches going forward, it is not due to lack of desire or commitment,” the statement read.
The club further explained that while promotion was achieved through collective effort, competing in the NPFL came with overwhelming financial and logistical demand.
“Competing in the Nigerian Premier Football League is a different challenge altogether. The financial demands and logistical requirements are substantial, and the cost of participating in the premier league for a season is close to One Billion Naira.”
The NPFL management is yet to issue an official response to Kun Khalifat’s withdrawal. Supporters are however hopeful that dialogue between both parties could still lead to a swift and fair resolution for the benefit of everyone involved.
© Bold Sports Media. All rights reserved. If sharing, kindly credit Bold Sports as the source and include a link to the original post. Unauthorised use is prohibited.
