Nigeria’s representatives in the 2026/27 CAF inter-club competitions, Rangers International, Rivers United and El-Kanemi Warriors, will from today, 19 August 2026, begin to test-run their readiness for the African inter-club competitions in a six-team NPFL Pre-Season Invitational Tournament organised by the league body at the New Jos City Stadium, Jos, Completesports.com reports.

The tournament will also aid the preparations of three of the four clubs representing Nigeria on the continent, with the exception of Shooting Stars, who were barred from participating after the club signified its intention to mix its first-team players with some of its academy players.
Plateau United, Katsina United, who replaced Shooting Stars SC, and Mighty Jets of Jos are the other teams lined up for the week-long festival of football.

NPFL Pre-Season Invitational Tournament Draws Released

The draws for the NPFL Pre-Season Invitational Tournament were released on Tuesday, 18 August 2026, ahead of the kick-off of the competition, which is scheduled to hold from 19–23 August at the New Jos City Stadium, Plateau State.

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“Considering that our season would be commencing a few days before the CAF club matches, the NFF and NPFL resolved that it would benefit the clubs to have their players participate in a competitive tournament to further deepen their fitness and cohesion,” the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the NPFL, Prince Davidson Owumi, explained on Tuesday.

“We acknowledge the support of the NFF in securing the buy-in of the Plateau State Government to host the tournament, and it is our expectation to see the clubs and their players take advantage of the platform to fine-tune their match preparations and plans going into the competition.”

NPFL Pre-Season Invitational Tournament Set For Six Clubs

Six clubs will compete in the NPFL Pre-Season Invitational Tournament, which is designed to provide valuable preparation ahead of the 2026/27 season and CAF inter-club campaigns.

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The competition is expected to give the participating clubs an opportunity to sharpen their match fitness, assess new and existing players, and fine-tune their tactical plans before the new league season begins.

Rivers United, Plateau United To Kick Off Tournament

Rivers United and Plateau United were billed to get the tournament underway with a clash today, Wednesday, 19 August 2026.

NPFL Pre-Season Invitational Tournament Fixtures

Group A

Rivers United
Plateau United
Rangers International

Group B

El-Kanemi Warriors
Mighty Jets
Katsina United