Nigeria Professional Football League has several clubs that have a big contribution to African football. This article tries to demonstrate the top five clubs of Nigeria.
The “People’s Elephants” is the most successful club in the history of Nigerian football.
Established in 1976, Enyimba rose to prominence in the early 2000s when they started winning the Nigerian Professional Football League and also competing in CAF inter-club competitions.
They are the record winners of the Nigerian league with 8 titles since 2001, more than any other team, and have also clinched the Federation’s Cup (FA Cup) on four occasions.
Enyimba became a household name on the African continent when they won the CAF Champions League back-to-back in 2003 and 2004 respectively.
Enyimba continued to win the CAF Super Cup back-to-back in 2004 and 2005 and has also won the Nigerian Super Cup four times.
They were also semi-finalists in the 2008 and 2011 editions.
The Aba-based club has most recently been to the semi-finals of the CAF Confederation Cup in 2018.
Rangers are one of the three oldest clubs in Nigeria since their formation in 1970, the other two being Bendel Insurance and Kano Pillars.
The Enugu-based side is the second most successful club in Nigerian football history having won the league 7 times, just one short of record winners Enyimba FC and also won the Federation’s Cup (FA Cup) six times – the 3rd most successful in that competition.
Rangers carved a niche for themselves on the African scene in the 1970s and early 1980s.
Having been to the finals of the CAF Champions League in 1975, Rangers were semi-finalists in the 1976, 1978, and 1982 editions.
In between, they won the CAF Cup Winners’ Cup in 1977 and were in the semi-finals of the CAF Cup (defunct) in 2003.
They are one-time winners of the Nigerian Super Cup in 2004.
Rangers have been competing in the CAF Confederation Cup recently making it to the group stages in 2019 and 2020.
Based in the third-largest city in Nigeria, Shooting Stars are one of the most followed football clubs in the country and are also the third force in the history of Nigerian football.
They are the third team to win the Nigeria Professional Football League with five titles to their credit, only behind Enyimba FC and Enugu Rangers FC.
Shooting Stars are the third team with the highest number of titles won in the Nigerian top flight with five crowns.
They are the most successful club in the Federation’s Cup (FA Cup) having clinched the ultimate on eight occasions (including when they were called Ibadan Lions and WNDC).
Continentally, they finished as runners-up in the CAF Champions League in 1984 and 1996.
They won the two defunct competitions CAF Cup in 1992 and the CAF Cup Winners’ Cup in 1976.
Previously known as Iwuanyanwu Nationale from 1985 to 2006, Heartland FC is a club based in Owerri and one of the most popular teams in Nigeria since the late 1980s after clinching four straight league triumphs from 1987 to 1990.
They are one of the top teams in the West African country as they have won the Nigeria Professional Football League five times – one of the third most successful teams in the league’s history.
Heartland has also won the Federation’s Cup (FA Cup) three times and the Super Cup twice.
In the Iwuanyanwu days, they came close to winning a continental glory but lost in the final of the CAF Champions League in 1988.
They were semi-finalists afterward in the 1990 and 1991 seasons.
Heartland FC reached the finals of the CAF Champions League in 2009.
Pillars have been Champions of Nigeria four times with the first coming in 2008 – making them the fifth most successful club in the history of the elite division.
The Northerners also have two Federation’s Cup (FA Cup) trophies after winning the competition in 1953 and 2019.
They won the Nigerian Super Cup in 2008.
In 2009, Pillars shockingly eliminated Egyptian giants Al Ahly SC to make it to the group stages of the CAF Champions League for the very first time. They went ahead to reach the semi-finals, losing to fellow Nigerian team Heartland FC. Pillars hold the longest home unbeaten record in Nigerian football history which stood for 12 years with a loss to Nasarawa United in August 2015.