After match-day 5, the Nigerian National League (NNL) clubs have voted for the cancellation of the 2019/20 season due to the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
At a two-day video-conferencing which started on Monday and ended yesterday, the 43 club chieftains agreed that no team will be promoted or relegated from the first division league.
According to the statement signed by the president of Nigerian National League Club Owners Association (NALCOMA), Abdul Sule, the body said it will support any decision by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on ending the football activities for the year.
“In all ramifications, we will support the NFF in any decision for the good of the game but NNL and its club owners should always be carried along in decisions affecting it for better synergy” the statement read.
“The 2019/2020 NNL season should be cancelled following the effect of COVID-19 and restriction on sporting activities by the federal government, which does not make the expected resumption of the League feasible”.
“None of the 43 (Forty-three) clubs in the second tier League will go on relegation or be promoted. This ended the agitation by some leading clubs to be promoted to the NPFL as majority of 13 clubs voted against 12”.
“That there will be no registration fee to be paid by the clubs in the 2020/2021 NNL Season,” he said.
However, the clubs called for the restructuring of the league to international standard in order to attract investors while urging the NNL organisers to address the issues bordering on poor officiating of the league.
“There is urgent need to rebrand the League and give it a fresh face, with the intent to attract partnerships/sponsors without further delay, as this was part of what put the League on hold in the first instance”
“We have agreed to constitute a strong committee that will critically look into the problems associated with poor officiating in the NNL as this was one of the reasons the league was placed on endless stop”
According to him, “The meeting also advocated for enlarged and well equipped media department in the NNL to achieve the purpose of rebranding, enhance publicity and attract investors.”
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