After seven month break, 2018/19 NPFL season resumes
Also Enugu Rangers, who were in action yesterday in the CAF Confederation Cup qualification game away to Bantu FC are also given a bye in the first week of the league.
Ahead of the league kick off, several of the clubs have been keeping their players match fit through pre-season games but for clubs like Plateau United, who according to coach Abdul Maikaba did not partake in any competitive pre-season games.
“In regards to the team this season, it is a new philosophy, new coach and some new players ahead as well, we certainly need time to get into a fusion, which did not get the opportunity to partake in any of the pre-season tournament that was held sometime ago, which was part of our greatest undoing”.
“I believe we are pushing ourselves to making sure we are very ready come Sunday for our first league match,” the Plateau United gaffer concluded.
Meanwhile, the Football Club Owners Association of Nigeria (Club Owners) have welcomed the four clubs that gained promotion to the top flight of the Nations football league, the Nigeria professional Football League NPFL via the just concluded NNL super 8 play off to its fold.
The newly promoted clubs are to join the 20 premier league clubs to battle in the 24 team format abridged league for the 2018/2019 NPFL season.
Club Owners according to a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday and jointly signed by the Chairman Barr. Isaac Danladi and the Executive secretary Alloy Chukwuemeka commended the NNL for the peaceful and transparent conduct of the Super 8 play off at the Enyimba stadium in Aba.
The Association appreciated the participants for their good conducts and the spirit of sportsmanship exhibited by the players and officials of the clubs and urged the promoted teams to come into the NPFL with the same spirit.
It assured the promoted clubs of total cooperation and fairness as they compete with top clubs in the nation’s biggest league, the NPFL.
Club Owners commended the leadership of the NFF for the matured and professional way it handled the heated atmosphere before the play off as well as the financial intervention to get the super 8 successfully concluded.