The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) says it has advised the League Management Company (LMC) to ensure the commencement of 2018/2019 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season not later than Jan. 13.
Ademola Olajire, NFF’s Director of Communications, in a statement on Friday said the NFF Emergency Committee took the decision in reaction to letters received from clubs.
“Clubs which qualified for the Super 8 Tournament of the Nigeria National League (NNL) say their teams were depleted and therefore they do not have enough personnel to prosecute the competition as earlier scheduled.
“This would have enabled the NPFL to commence on Dec. 30,’’ he said.
The NFF official said the three clubs which showed up in Aba as directed would each receive a compensation in the sum of N2 million each.
Olajire added that the matter of the five clubs which failed to show up for the Super 8 would meanwhile be referred to the relevant NFF committee to deal with.
He said the five clubs would be given a two-week period of grace to recruit players to beef up their playing personnel before going on to play in the NNL Super 8.
“The NNL has thus been directed therefore to pick new dates not later than Jan. 3 for the tournament,’’ Olajire said.