Remo Stars Sports Club were crowned as the champions of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL)

Football fans in Nigeria have been touched by a generous act of kindness from Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, who gifted the Remo Stars Sports Club a sum of ₦10 million.

Remo Stars Sports Club were crowned as the champions of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) after beating Niger Tornadoes 1-0 on Sunday.

Their victory was a success for privately-owned clubs in Nigeria after suffering heartbreak in three previous seasons, finishing second twice and third once.

According to Pooja Media, Osimhen reached out to the coach, Daniel Ogunmodede and gifted the team a token of appreciation.

The striker and the coach worked together in the national team during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, when Austin Eguavoen was the interim coach.

NPFL prize money

The NPFL champions, Remo Stars, will receive a 210 million naira financial reward for winning the title. 200 million naira as champions' fee, while all clubs receive a 10 million naira base fee.

According to Punch, the league board increased the champions’ remuneration by 50 million naira, from the 150 million naira given to Rangers FC last season.

Ogunmodede reflects on Remo's journey

The Super Eagles assistant coach admitted that the players and backroom staff were happy that the title win came on the birthday of their president, who had patiently invested in the club.

Remo were the first South Western club and the first private team to win the league title since Julius Berger of Lagos won it in 2000.

The shot stopper joined the Flying Antlers in 2021 from JEF United Chiba, and helped them win the Emperor's Cup in 2022. His contract was set to expire at the end of this year.

However, the 32-year-old has decided to stay at the club, and penned a new deal that will keep him at the Shimonoseki-based side until the end of the 2024 season.

This will be Kawashima’s seventh season at the club, having joined them in 2017 from Standard Liege in Belgium. In total, he has made 166 appearances for the club in all competitions.

Kawashima is also a veteran of the Japan national team, having made his debut in 2008. He has since gone on to represent his country at four FIFA World Cups, and played a key role in their run to the Round of 16 at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

With the new deal at Flying Antlers, Kawashima will be aiming to continue his success at club level, and help Japan in their quest to reach the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.