The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigeria National League

  • Gombe United ready for league kick off

    Gombe United ready for league kick off

    The management of Gombe United has expressed satisfaction with the team’s preparation and believes that they are set for the 2016/2017 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) kicks off.

    The club’s Assistant General Manager (Media and Publicity), Tanimu Umar while speaking on the team’s readiness for the forthcoming season  said the management has been preparing assiduously to bolster the club towards the very competitive NPFL.

    Umar said the Savannah Scorpions employed the services of first class technical adviser, Manu Garba and recruited experienced players that can help the team achieve its set objective for the season.

    “Right from the end of last season, we have not rested on our oars, we have been preparing to bolster the club towards the very competitive NPFL. We understood that we have to roll our sleeves and work assiduously if we can compete alongside well armed teams in the NPFL,” Umar stated.

    Speaking further, he said:  “We set the ball rolling by recruiting an internationally-acclaimed tactician as Technical Adviser, Coach Manu Garba (OON). Garba gained reputation by winning the FIFA U-17 Championships for Nigeria while in charge of the Golden Eaglets. We believe he can inspire our boys with a view to gaining glory in the coming season. The presence of Manu Garba invariably lured competent players to join the team. Today we have been able to complete the signing of 12 new players; these players were carefully selected to compliment the squad and to strengthen the team. We can boldly assure our teeming fans that we are good to go.

    “The upcoming Nigeria National League (NNL) Super 4 to be hosted in Gombe State will definitely be a litmus test before the commencement of the league. For that, we are urging our fans to come out en masse to cheer the team to victory. We need the support of all football stakeholders in the state; all hands should be on deck to ensure Gombe United make a huge statement of intent in the league. We thank the state government under the leadership of Dr Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, OON (Talban Gombe) for the ceaseless support to the team. We pray that the government shall continue to stand by us, continue to have confidence in us and embolden the team towards achieving laurels,” he added.

  • Nigeria national league to kick off on May 7

    Nigeria national league to kick off on May 7

     

     

    The ad hoc committee overseeing the Nigeria National League (NNL) on Wednesday in Abuja said the league’s 2015/2016 season would kick off on May 7.

    The league body’s ad hoc committee also informed club officials and other stakeholders at the league’s congress that the season would be in an abridged format.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the abridged format will have eight clubs each in four groups.

    In the draws held to group the clubs, Kaduna United, Sokoto United and Kogi United and five others are in Group A1 in the new format.

    Group A2 has Kwara United, FC Taraba and Gombe United, which are all former NPFL club sides which were relegated at the end of the last season.

    Group B1 has, among others, Rivers State FA Cup champions Go Round FC, Remo Stars and Delta Force FC.

    ABS FC, Gateway FC, Bayelsa United FC and Prime FC of Oshogbo are part of Group B2 setting.

    Speaking at the event, Chairman of the NNL Ad-hoc Committee, Seyi Akinwunmi, said the committee had to settle for the abridged league format because of time constraints.

    “Time has already been wasted and we aim to have a league that will be successful and productive,’’ the First Vice-President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) said.

    He said he was sure the league would be concluded in good time, barring any last-minute change to the proposed kick-off date.

    NAN reports that winners in all four groups will automatically pick the qualification tickets to the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

    GROUP A1

    Sokoto United
    Kaduna United
    Kogi United
    Shekarau Babes
    Katsina United
    FC Yarmalight
    Mighty Jets
    Jigawa Stars

    GROUP A2

    Adamawa United
    Kwara United
    FC Taraba
    Wikki Feeders
    Supreme Court
    FC Zamfara
    Dreams FC
    Gombe United

    GROUP B1

    Remo Stars
    COD United
    Delta Force
    Go Round
    Unicem Rovers
    Sharks FC
    Akwa Starlets
    Abia Comets

    GROUP B2

    ABS FC
    Crown FC
    Prime FC
    J. Atete FC
    Bayelsa United
    First Bank
    Gateway United
    Bendel Insurance

     

  • Bendel Insurance crashes out of Edo FA Cup

    Bendel Insurance Football Club of Benin on Tuesday crashed out of the Edo FA cup at the quarter finals.

    Bendel Insurance lost 4-2 via penalty to BJ Foundation FC.

    The Edo representative in the Nigeria National League (NNL) were beaten by 4-2 penalty after the game had ended one all at the regulated time.

    Both team played a well entertaining football to the delight of fans who came out en mass to cheer their team.

    While BJ Foundation were dominated the first half with more precision in their passes, Insurance FC came out strongly in the second half.

    The Benin Arsenal played with more cohesion and came close to taking the lead on three occasions.

    Insurance tried to increase the score line of the goal scored by Prince Isuku in the 38th minute of the highly entertaining match.

    However, the match went into penalty shoot out after score line remained one all  at the end of the 09 minutes.

    BJ Foundation coach, Douglas Idahosa said he has his eyes on playing in the finals of the national FA Cup.

    Insurance coach, Roland Ewere on the other hand, commended his lads for a good play.

    He said losing through a penalty is one of those things in football, adding that penalty is always anybody’s game.

    He however said he has used the FA Cup to access his team ahead of the NNL.

    It would be recalled that BJ. Foundation were nicknamed “The Giant Killer” after beating top teams to reach the round of sixteen at the national FA Cup in 2016.

  • NNL set for rebranding, incorporation

    NNL set for rebranding, incorporation

    The management of the Nigeria National League (NNL) has revealed that arrangements have been put in place to rebrand the second-tier division, starting with the release of branded balls and subsequent incorporation of the League’s management.

    Chairman of the NNL, Emeka Inyama, told newsmen in Abuja yesterday that one of the first steps to rebranding the league will start with the introduction of branded match balls for the use of participating teams from the 2013/2014 season.

    Inyama revealed that before the league kicks off, all participating clubs in the division will receive a number of the uniform branded match balls for their own use.

    He revealed that match officials will enforce the strict use of the branded balls on match days as it is the practice in other major leagues across the world.

    Inyama who is also an executive member in the board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) further revealed that the NNL is set to toe the line of the elite division for whom the League Management Company (LMC) was incorporated, by incorporating a management company for the second-tier NNL.

    “As part of the changes in the administration of the national league, we have approached the NFF to grant us the power to register the NNL as a limited liability company,” Inyama said.

    “I am happy to say that the approval has been given and we would commence the registration process immediately.”