February 2024

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All is set for the resumption of the 2023/2024 Nigeria National League (NNL) season, second stanza.

The Board of the most important league in Nigeria led by Mr.George Aluo after a two weeks extension of the mid-season transfer break which ended Tuesday 6th of February,2024 ,has fixed Friday 1st of March 2024 as the new date for action to commence in the second stanza.

Chief Operating Officer of the Nigeria National League,Dr Ayo Abdulrahaman said all Football Associations in the states housing the forty(40) participating teams in the league have been duly informed,with the view to ensure smooth and hitch – free chapter in the half.

Dr Abdulrahaman however, admonished the clubs to play according to the dictates of the NNL rules, regulations and with the spirit of fair play uppermost in their minds.

Nigeria National League (NNL) side Solution FC have appointed Cameroonian-born Encho Anthony Encho as the new head coach for the remainder of the 2023/24 season.

Encho comes in as a replacement to fill the void left by the late Coach Uche Okagbue who died in active duty after a brief illness.

Speaking to the media shortly after his presentation at the conference room of the Anambra State Sports Development Commission (ASSDC) on Wednesday, 21st February 2024, Coach Anthony Encho said the task is to take the Solution Boys to the summit of the league and ensure they secure the playoffs spot for NPFL promotion at the end of the season.

“I want to use this opportunity to thank the Management of Solution FC and indeed Anambra State Government for finding me worthy to deliver on the mandate. My job is to ensure the club tops the Conference B table and secure the playoffs slot in anticipation of qualification to the top tier, the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).

“With my technical crew, we will ensure we strengthen the current team to withstand the test and accomplish the task given to me in ensuring we put smiles on the faces of the teeming football fans of Solution FC in the state and beyond,” Encho said.

The Cameroonian Coach was once the Technical Adviser of NNL side Crown FC Ogbomosho, he has also worked with NNL sides, ABS FC and Ijebu United FC while also handling some foreign based clubs such as Samui United Academy of Thailand and Tiger Soccer Academy Sharjah of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Meanwhile, Solution FC are currently placed seventh in the Conference B of the NNL and will kick-off the second stanza of the ongoing 2023/24 season at home against Gateway FC of Abeokuta on Saturday, 2nd March 2024.

Credit: Solution FC Media

Chairman of the Nigerian National League George Aluo has appealed to corporate bodies and individuals to embrace the League because of its unique nature in the country’s football development.

Aluo who spoke to journalists in Abuja on Thursday said the League remains the most important League in the country, because it is the only league that take teams from both the Nigeria Premier League and Nigeria Nationwide League.

“This is how important the league is, and deserves all the special attentions from corporate sponsors”.

Aluo took time to outline some of the achievements recorded in the first stanza of league, saying that they will intensify efforts to make the league comparable to what is attain in other leagues world wide.

Quoting his words, the veteran journalist said, “we have zero percent tolerance for hooliganism and the ones we have noticed, were dealt with immediately. Referees indemnities were taken care of promptly, the teams are doing well because they have very conducive environment to play the matches”.

He said in the second stanza of the league which will start in the first week of March, they will continue to monitor the league, and ensure that only best will emerge to join the NPFL at the end of season.

“Our teams are doing well, and that is why we are appealing to various sponsors to embrace the league for the future of our football development. Because, it is only when the League is growing that the national teams will perform well” he concluded.

The Chief Operating officer of the league body Ayo Abdulrahaman further gave a statistical analysis of the first stanza of the 2023/2024 League Season, saying that out of the 193 matches that were played in the first stanza, 383 goals were scored with an unprecedented 27 away wins and 45 away draws.

The Board of the Nigeria National League (NNL), has resolved that the second stanza of the 2023/2024 will resume on the Friday 1st March 2024. The second stanza was earlier expected to resume on Friday 16 February 2024.

Rising from the meeting held on Wednesday 14 February, 2024 at the Nera Hotels, Jabi Abuja ,the NNL board said the shift in date of resumption of the second stanza of the League, is to enable clubs complete
their mid-season registration and the medicals of such players.

The board was full of appreciation to NNL Club Owners for the cooperation and collaboration it received and prayed for more support in the remaining part of the League season.

The board also pledged to provide more enabling environment to all the forty clubs to enable them perform adequately in the league.

The board congratulated the Super Eagles for their determination and doggednness that saw them finish as runners up at the just concluded 34th Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) held in Cote d’ivoire.

The Board praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the National Awards vested on the team and the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation for their visionary leadership and support to the team and the NNL.