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Sport

Katken says “logistical snags’’ responsible for NNL Super 4 tournament postponement

Postponement
By Kayode Adebiyi
Abuja, July 31, 2019 (NAN) Lawrence Katken, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Nigeria National League (NNL), on Wednesday in Abuja said “logistical snags’’ were responsible for the postponement of the 2019 NNL Super 4 tournament.

Katken told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that some logistical issues necessitated the decision of the NNL management to postpone the tournament indefinitely.

“We postponed the NNL Super 4 tournament due to logistical snags, which we need to sort out before the tournament can hold,” he said.

The COO, however, did not specify the nature of the “logistical snags” and declined to acknowledge whether they were financial or not.

NAN reports that two clubs each from the Northern and Southern Conferences of the NNL had qualified for the Super 4 on July 22.

The clubs are Akwa Starlets Football Club of Uyo, Warri Wolves FC, Adamawa United FC of Yola and Jigawa Golden Stars of Hadeija.

The NNL Super 4 tournament was scheduled to hold from Wednesday to Saturday at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba.

Katken nonetheless assured that a new date for the tournament would be announced sometime next week.

“Hopefully, we should have a new date for the Super 4 tournament by next week,” he said.(NAN)
KIA/KTO/OLAL
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(Edited by Kamal Tayo Oropo and Olawale Alabi)

Sport

NNL releases fixtures for Super 4 playoffs

Fixtures
Abuja, July 16, 2019 (NAN) The Nigeria National League (NNL) on Tuesday in Abuja released fixtures for the 2018/2019 league’s playoff matches to determine the four clubs which would qualify for the NNL Super 4 tournament.

Lawrence Katken, NNL’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), in a circular to the clubs said the scheduled playoff matches would last for 90 minutes each.

He said in the case of drawn matches, penalty shootouts would be used to determine the winners.

“In order to determine the four clubs that will qualify for the NNL Super 4 tournament, playoff matches have been scheduled for the qualifiers from the season’s eight groups,” the circular stated.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that four clubs each from the Northern and Southern Conferences of the 2018/2019 NNL qualified for the Super 4 playoffs.

The playoffs will hold at four venues, namely: the Jos Township Stadium, Aper Aku Stadium in Makurdi, Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba and the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu.

All four playoff matches will take place on July 24.

According to the fixtures, NAF FC of Abuja will take on Jigawa Golden Stars of Hadeija at the Jos Township Stadium.

FRSC FC of Abuja will tackle Adamawa United of Yola at the Aper Aku Stadium in Makurdi.

Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan will confront Akwa Starlets FC of Uyo at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba.

Also, Dynamite FC of Benin will do battle against Warri Wolves at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu.

The four winners will proceed to the NNL Super 4 tournament scheduled for July 31 to Aug. 3 at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba.

The four qualifiers also automatically qualify for the 2019/2020 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).(NAN)
KIA/OLAL
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Yobe Desert Stars will be sanctioned for boycotting Super 4, NNL Chairman says

NAN-S-4
Sanction
By Olanrewaju Akojede
Lagos, Jan. 11, 2018 (NAN) The Chairman of Nigeria National League (NNL) board, Chidi Okenwa, on Thursday said the league body would sanction Yobe Desert Stars for failing to participate in the league’s Super 4 competition.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the competition involved the top two clubs in the Northern Conference and Southern Conference of the 2017/2018 NNL.

The Damaturu-based side won the Northern Conference, while Kwara United of Ilorin came second, with the Southern Conference being won by Go Round FC of Omuku and Heartland FC of Owerri.

NAN reports that the Desert Stars did not participate in the Super 4 competition which was played at the Agege Stadium in Lagos.

NNL, however, brought in Remo Stars Football Club of Sagamu, the team which was relegated from the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

Okenwa said the club would be sanctioned in line with stipulated laws guiding the boycott of matches by clubs in the NNL.

“I can say that, up till the start of the Super 4, we were at a loss about the whereabouts of the Yobe side. The fact that they did not honour the competition is still a mystery to us.

“From all this, we have yet to have a word from the club. The league has not officially ended with the conclusion of the Super 4.

“The league body will take appropriate actions against them, although they are no longer in the NNL. There are provisions for disciplinary actions against any erring club.

“We will not tolerate any infringement on our league system and we will also enforce judgment against them,’’ he said.

Okenwa said all clubs participating in the league signed a code of conduct at the inception of the league.

“The rules have not changed. All the clubs in a league, be it the NNL, NLO and NPFL, must abide by all the rules of the game. They must honour all the stipulated matches.

“The act of not honouring matches has its own disciplinary action and punitive measures too. Their action is just like bringing the game of football to disrepute.

“We will not allow that. Wherever they may be playing now does not matter, there are provisions to sanction them, regardless of their structure.

“However, the clubs which played in the competition must have learnt one thing or the other, and they will be happy they participated,’’ he said.

NAN reports that Go Round FC emerged champions of the NNL Super 4 after defeating Heartland FC 2-1 in the final match.(NAN)
KOJE/DEB/OLAL
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(Edited by Debo Oshundun and Olawale Alabi)

Sport

NNL Super 4: Go Round FC beat Kwara United to reach final

NAN-S-5
Super 4
By Olanrewaju Akojede
Lagos, Jan. 7, 2018 (NAN) Go Round Football Club on Sunday defeated Kwara United FC 4-2 via a penalty kicks shootout to reach the final match of the 2016/2017 Nigeria National League (NNL) Super 4 competition.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the match, the opening game of the competition being played at the Agege Stadium in Lagos, had ended in a barren draw.

The competition, which is for the top two clubs in the 2016/2017 NNL’s two conferences, is  a knockout event and the match’s winner was decided on penalty kicks.

The Ilorin-based Kwara United lost two penalty kicks, while Go Round FC who are from Port Harcourt scored four of their kicks.

Speaking after the match, Kwara United’s coach John Obuh condemned the competition’s format, saying it fell short of his expectations.

“I am not too happy with the organisers of this competition. What we were told was that it would be a preparatory competition where all the clubs would play against each other.

“What we met here is quite different. If this is what I have been told I would have stayed back for other preparations, because playing a game and you are off is not a good test.

“We will be looking forward to the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), in which I believe we will have a decent campaign this time,” he said.

Coach of Go Round FC, Emmanuel Elechi, on his part however praised the organisers for coming out to organise the tournament.

He added that his team was well prepared for the match.

“We are happy to have won the match. I anticipated that the match may drag to the penalty kicks shootout. So, I prepared the players well for the shootout.

“It is on record that we are yet to lose any match during our pre-season tour and I can also say that all the players in Go Round FC are from the NNL.

“I recruited all the players from the NNL to make a statement, that we have good players in the NNL.

“Now, I want to go home with the trophy here and this is my next target,” Elechi said.(NAN)
KOJE/OLAL
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)