Kano Pillars retained the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) title after 38 rounds of matches while Enyimba FC of Aba clinched the oldest football tournament in the country, the Federation Cup.
In April, Pillars were knocked out of the Caf Champions League after drawing 4-4 over two legs with Congolese outfit, AC Leopards.
Pillars won at home by a 4-1 scoreline but capitulated badly in the second-leg as they crashed out on the away goals rule after a 0-3 defeat to the Leopards at the Stade Denis Sassou Nguesso, Dolisie.
The country’s second representatives in the competition, Enugu Rangers, overcame Burundian club, Vital’O 2-0 over two legs.
In the Caf Confederations Cup, Lobi Stars were trounced 7-1 by Mozambican club, Liga Muculmana in the second-leg of their first round clash.
Lobi Stars won the first leg 3-1 but lost heavily lost heavily in the return leg of the same encounter.
Heartland FC, the country’s other flag bearer, also failed to advance to the second round in very dramatic circumstances.
Heartland defeated Gabonese club, US Bitam 2-1 in the first leg of their first round encounter at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, but failed to travel to Gabon to honour the return leg due to financial problems. They were duly walked over by the Gabonese.
In May the Nigeria Football Federation threw out the two representatives of River State (Sharks and Dolphins) in the 2013 Federation Cup.
The decision was part of the punishment meted on the Rivers State Football Association (home federation of both clubs) for irregularities during the preliminaries of the competition.
The NFF remarkably made a dramatic detour from its earlier decision a few days later following a hastily launched appeal by the Rivers State Football Association. It then ruled that matches in the 2013 Rivers State Federation Cup be played from the semi-final stages with the finalists expected to be entered for the draws of the 2013 Fed Cup.
A fine of 500,000 was paid by the Rivers FA before the round of 64 stages of the national competition.
Enugu Rangers crashed out of the Caf Champions League in the second round following a 1-3 aggregate loss to Angolans Recreativo do Libolo.
The Flying Antelopes had a chance to redeem their image in the second tier Confederation Cup.
Rangers were thrown out of the Confederation Cup in July by the Confederation of African Football (Caf). Caf’s action was warranted because of the club’s failure to properly register goalkeeper, Daniel Emmanuel, who had joined the Enugu-based club from Shooting Stars SC, before fielding him against CS Sfaxien, whom they beat in the playoffs.
Eyimba won the 2013 Federation Cup title in September after twice staging a comeback to beat Warri Wolves 5-4 on penalties at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.
With scores leveled at 2-2 after 90 minutes of top class football, Enyimba of Aba triumphed over Warri Wolves on penalties.
Nigeria international Azubuikwe Egwekwe’s penalty was saved by Enyimba’s keeper Femi Thomas to deny Wolves a first-ever Cup victory.
Kano Pillars retained the Glo Premier League title it won the previous season in October as the NPFL came to a dramatic finale.
Four teams played catch-ups in the title run-in with only two points separating the champions from third-placed Bayelsa United on the last day of the season.
Pillars ended the season with 63 points from 38 matches. Enyimba, who missed out of the race for the title following their loss in Akure, finished one point behind the champions while United came third with 61 points.
Kwara United, ABS, Wikki Tourist and 3SC were relegated to the lower league division- the Nigeria National League (NNL).
