Nigerian Premier League Suffers Another Postponement

 The kick-off of the second round of the 2010/2011 Nigerian Premier League (NPL) season has now been postponed indefinitely, according an official in Abuja, yesterday.

Mr Tunji Babalola, the Acting Executive Secretary of the NPL, which organises the competition, said that no new date has yet been fixed.

The competition which kicked off on November 6, 2010 went on its mid-season break on March 13 after its week 19 matches which rounded off the first round.

Since then, various dates have been fixed for the commencement of the second round, with April 20 as the latest.

Various issues, such as the league’s title rights controversy and the participation of four of its clubs in African club competitions, led to three postponements.

Babalola, however, said the current political climate in the country necessitated the latest postponement.

“There is no doubt about it that we have now shifted the commencement again. It is due to circumstances beyond our control.

“No sane organisation, or club or parent, will allow its players or team or child to travel in this present situation,’’ he said.

The NPL acting Executive Secretary said that the situation in some states, where some clubs were based, did not allow for matches for now.

‘`The situation in some states, from the reports in the media, is very critical, and this has led to curfews being imposed on those areas. There is no way organised football can be played in those areas,’’ he said.

The NPL had planned on bringing the competition to a close on July 24, but with the latest postponement of matches, it appears the competition will now spill into August.

“That is a fact, and it is something we don’t want to happen. But we will be hoping on the co-operation of the participating clubs to prevent this from happening,’’ Babalola said.