NNL to harmonise league calendar with European league season, says Chairman

Posted : 15 August 2023

Basking in the euphoria of the just-concluded Nigeria National League (NNL) Relegation Playoff, the chairman of Nigeria's lower league body, George Aluo on Monday hinted on the plans for the coming season which according to him, would centred around matching the European league season's kickoff date.

Africa Sport Network (ASN) reports that the NNL had reached a successful conclusion of the 2022-23 season in Kano last week with the Relegation Playoff, and now the management of the league has set sight on September date or first week in October as the kickoff frame-time for the new season.

Heartland were crowned champions of the 2022/2023 NNL season following a 2-0 win over Kano Pillars in the final of the Super 8 in Asaba, while Sokoto United, Adamawa United, Ikorodu City and Smart City survived at the relegation playoffs in Kano last week.

The Chairman of the NNL board, Aluo however disclosed that the league body now had a mandate of changing the lower league's calendar to be aligned with the European calendar, a directive according to him came from Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Ibrahim Gusau.

The Nigerian football season at all level has always been at variance with the rest of world but the NFF leadership has vowed to buck the negative trend.

The NNL Chairman restated the stand of the country's governing body and revealed that it's board will key into it as part of its agenda at the Annual General Meeting (AGM).

"First of all, I'm happy that we have concluded the season with the relegation playoffs.

``We now know the relegated clubs to the NLO and those who are remaining in the NNL and, having ended the league successfully, we are now going to look at the 2023-24 season." he stated.

"The first thing before we start the season is to hold our Annual General Meeting (AGM) where the club owners will come in and then we will rub minds with them as a board and decide when the new season will start."

Aluo then confirmed that the AGM would decide the direction of the new season.

"We are looking at September or October in line with the directive of President of Nigeria Football Federation Ibrahim Gusau that we should align our league with the rest of the world, the Nigeria Premier League will be starting later this month so we are looking at September or worst case scenario first week of October."

Actualisation of this plan underlines the urge by the board to improve the standards at the NNL.

NNL to harmonise league calendar with European league season, says Chairman

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