Club Managers Protest Against League Resumption Date

Some of the clubs in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) yesterday in Abuja kicked against the planned resumption of 2017/2018 league season on September 2.
These club officials, while reacting to the new resumption date, urged the League Management Company (LMC) to rather end the competition as it is presently.
The club managers added that LMC should declare the clubs leading on the league’s table as the country’s representatives in continental competitions next year.
The Tidesports source reports that the league’s resumption after its 2018 FIFA World Cup break was suspended by the LMC in July owing to the NFF crisis.
The league organising company however rolled out a schedule of the outstanding fixtures on Wednesday, with the Proposed Revised Schedule having Match Day 25 fixtures on September 2.
The schedule has the league ending on October 28 with the Match Day 38 fixtures.
The Chairman of Heartland Football Club of Owerri, Chibuzor Etuemena, said the new schedule of matches would not only impose financial burden on the clubs but also reduce competition.
“Apart from the financial constraints which the clubs will face, any crash programme now in terms of the rescheduling of outstanding matches will not produce quality champions,’’ he said.
Etuemena noted that the leadership tussle in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has adversely affected the league competitions in the country.
“The crisis has already taken its toll on everyone, particularly the clubs who mostly depend on monthly subventions to prosecute their games.
“Now, it is practically impossible to meet the schedule of fixtures released by the LMC in financial terms,’’ he said.
The club chairman also said he found it foolhardy to subject players to such a rigorous schedule in view of the likely medical implications.
“In addition, since they are human beings, the quality of games to be witnessed in the NPFL will be undesirable.
“So, my humble suggestion is that the LMC should declare an emergency ending of the 2017/2018 league season and nominate the three leading clubs on the table to represent Nigeria in the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup,’’ he said.
Speaking also, the General Manager of Rangers International FC of Enugu, Davidson Owumi, said it would be impossible to prepare the teams technically with the announced schedule.