The emergency committee of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has declared that the much-troubled Super-8 promotion play-off of Nigeria National League (NNL) will begin on Wednesday in Aba.
With that target in view, footballlive.ng gathered that the committee has directed all eight clubs expected to compete in the series to proceed to the Abia State commercial nerve centre.
The expected clubs are Gombe United, Remo Stars, Shooting Stars, Bendel Insurance, Delta Force, Kada Stars, Real Stars and Kogi United.
This comes after the emergency committee, chaired by NFF president, Amaju Melvin Pinnick, rose from a meeting to announce that the Super 8 play-off of the NNL should produce four teams to be promoted to the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) for the 2018/2019 season.
The committee stated that the directive follows what is enshrined in the NNL 2018 Rule Book and in line with propositions of the expanded meeting of chieftains of the NFF, LMC, NPFL Clubs, NNL and NNL Clubs.
It was acknowledged that the NNL should stage its statutory Super 8 to produce the four teams for NPFL.
The committee thus directed that the eight teams should arrive Aba on Wednesday, 19th December, and the tournament must be concluded by Sunday, 23rd December for the NNL to present four teams for the NPFL.
The committee also directed the NNL to proceed with any of the clubs that report to Aba while stating that disciplinary action would be taken against those who fail to honour their obligations and the NFF directive.
Pinnick stated: “The Super 8 Tournament must go ahead with all the teams arriving on or before Wednesday, 19th December.
“I enjoin all the eight qualified teams to endeavour to be in Aba for this tournament, in order to ensure that the LMC has the names of the four teams promoted from the NNL, and go ahead to conduct its draws for the new season.
“At the same time, the League Management Company must make best efforts to ensure that all parameters, processes and procedures are set to commence the new Nigeria Professional Football League season before the first day of January, 2019.”
