The board of Nigeria National League ( NNL) has announced Enugu as host of this year’s Super 8 slated for May 23- 30, 2024.
Making the announcement Monday, Chairman of the League Mr. George Aluo said that the league board is happy that the home of football will play host to the Super 8 just as he expressed appreciation to the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah and the Commissioner For Youths and Sports Barr. Lloyd Ekwerenmadu for accepting to host the championship.
According to him, the state government has equally promised that all logistics needed for a successful and memorable competition will be put in place before the commencement of the competition.
” I’m happy to announce that Enugu State Government has graciously accepted to bring the Super 8 to the home of Nigerian football. “
“We at the NNL are grateful to the Governor and the Commissioner of Sports of Enugu State for this kind gesture and we promise all the participating teams that they will be treated to the best of hospitality the Coal City is noted for as the Governor has equally promised to make all logistics available for a hitch free championship.
The Super 8 is organised annually at the end of the league to determine the overall champion of the second tier League as well as teams that will gain promotion to the elite league.
Some of the teams that have already qualified for the championship are; Nasarawa Utd, Sporting Supreme of Abuja and Sokoto Utd.
The board of Nigeria National League ( NNL) has announced Enugu as host of this year’s Super 8 slated for May 23- 30, 2024.
Making the announcement Monday, Chairman of the League Mr. George Aluo said that the league board is happy that the home of football will play host to the Super 8 just as he expressed appreciation to the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah and the Commissioner For Youths and Sports Barr. Lloyd Ekwerenmadu for accepting to host the championship.
According to him, the state government has equally promised that all logistics needed for a successful and memorable competition will be put in place before the commencement of the competition.
” I’m happy to announce that Enugu State Government has graciously accepted to bring the Super 8 to the home of Nigerian football.
“We at the NNL are grateful to the Governor and the Commissioner of Sports of Enugu State for this kind gesture and we promise all the participating teams that they will be treated to the best of hospitality the Coal City is noted for as the Governor has equally promised to make all logistics available for a hitch free championship.
The Super 8 is organised annually at the end of the league to determine the overall champion of the second tier League as well as teams that will gain promotion to the elite league.
Some of the teams that have already qualified for the championship are; Nasarawa Utd, Sporting Supreme of Abuja and Sokoto Utd.
Coach Adams Usman Saturday in Sokoto clinched the last Super Eight tick in the Conference C of the Nigeria National League(NNL) with a vital draw against Zamfara United at the Giginya Memorial Stadium, Sokoto the adopted home of Zamfara.
It was Zamfara who found the back of the net first in the 40-minute through Namadi Ahmad and 2-minutes later Terdoo Shimagande leveled up for the Solid Miners.
The one-all-draw was all the Lafia-based side needed to advance as they finished in second place with a total of 33 points one behind Confence C winners El-Kanemi Warriors and one ahead of Wikki Tourists of Bauchi.
While Zamfara United maintained their status in the League, the Bauchi Elephants defeated EFCC of Abuja 4-2 at the Area 3 FIFA Goal Project pitch in Garki but will now continue life next season.
Abuja-based Nigeria Airforce Football Club(NAF) ended the season with a 2-0 away victory over ABS FC in Ilorin. However, their last gap effort in Ilorin could not save them from going down.
Mighty Jets of Jos and Yobe Desert Stars of Damaturu also played out a one-all draw at the new Jos Stadium, a result which means both teams will still compete in the NNL next season.
Nasarawa United now joins Sokoto United, Sporting Supreme, and El-Kanemi Warriors as teams that have booked their tickets to the 2023/2024 NNL Super Eight promotion playoff.
Those relegated are NAF FC, ABS FC, and EFCC FC already condemned to start new life in the 3rd tier NLO.
The 2023/2024 regular season of the NNL will come to a halt in the next two weeks in Conferences A and B
In anticipation of the forthcoming Nigeria National League Super 8 playoff, one of the official sponsors of the League, PRO Star has concluded arrangements to reward all the qualifiers for the tournament.
Revealing this in Abuja, the Chief Executive Officer of The Nigerian National League, Emmanuel Attah said the organization will give all the qualifying clubs branded balls before the commencement of the tournament.
Attah further revealed that there would be prizes for the Most Valuable Player, highest goalscorer and best goalkeeper of the tournament.
“The season has been a lot of fun and excitement and the Super 8 will be the climax to what has been a good campaign.”
Sokoto United and Sporting Supreme of Abuja have already qualified for the Super 8 tournament after matches in Conference D were rounded up.The other six qualifiers would be decided later this month at the end of Conferences A, B and C.
Jigawa Golden Stars and Mailantarki Care FC failed to survive relegation after the conclusion of Conferences D of the 2023/2024 NNL season
Although, Mailantarki defeated Jigawa by 2-1 in the last match of the conference but that was not enough to prevent the team from escaping relegation to the NLO.
Both teams had 14 points each with Kebbi Utd but the later escaped the drop with a superior goal aggregate.
City FC of Abuja that came last on Conference D log with 10 points also joined the two teams to be relegated to the NLO.
With the conclusion of Conference D, attention will now be shifted to the conclusion of the three other conferences of the league.
Jigawa Golden Stars and Mailantarki Care FC failed to survive relegation after the conclusion of Conferences D of the 2023/2024 NNL season.
Although, Mailantarki defeated Jigawa by 2-1 in the last match of the conference but it was not enough to prevent the team from escaping relegation to the NLO.
Both teams had 14 points each with Kebbi Utd but the later escaped the drop with a superior goal aggregate.
City FC of Abuja who came last on Conference D log with 10 points also joined the two teams to be relegated to the NLO.
With the conclusion of Conference D, attention will now be shifted to the conclusion of the three other conferences of the league.
The Secretariat of the Nigeria National League has released the match statistics of the four conferences of the 2024 season.
With198 matches so far played in Conferences A and B, 426 goals were scored, with 125 home wins and 26 away wins, representing 63.1%, & 26% respectively. There were 47 draw matches, representing 23.7% of matches. 299 home goals were scored, and 127 home goals.
Beyond Limit FC scored the highest goals of 33 goals, with Stormers FC and Ekiti United conceeding the least goals of 28 goals. Tradesafe and Solution FC scored the least numbers of goals of 11goals and Osun conceded the least numbers of goals of 8.
In group C & D, 209 goals have been scored in the 106 so far played, with 70 home wins and 14 won away representing 66. 3% and 13.1% respectively.
Teams drew 31 matches representing 29.2% of matches played. Wikki Tourists scored the highest numbers of goals, with 23 goals, while EFCC FC conceded the least numbers of goals. They conceded 18 goals. Nasarawa United 8 goals conceded made them the team that conceded the lowest numbers of goals, while ABS scored the least number of goals of 5 goals.
Chairman of Nigeria National League (NNL), George Aluo, has expressed appreciation to God for adding another year to his age, saying that he is a fulfilled man considering his achievements in both his chosen journalism profession and as a sports administrator. He also called for community ownership of football clubs.
Aluo in his mid 50’s will be a year older on Friday, April 12, 2024 and said he is humbled by the blessings of God on his life and will continue to serve him as a devout Christian of the Catholic Faith.
NNL CHAIRMAN, George Aluo
Speaking on his birthday, he said, “I’m a destiny child born on the day a bomb exploded in my village market square, Umuohiagu, Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State during the Nigeria/ Biafra civil war killing over 300 people, including goats, sheep, cattle and fowls and even flies were not exempted. “On that day, according to my mother’s account, it was not up to 15-20 minutes she left that place with my umbilical cord because there was no operational hospital then; carrying my elder sister on her back and my elder brother on her head in a basin that the bomb exploded and so I must thank God and continue to glorify his name for attaining my new age in good health and sound mind.”
Aluo jokingly pointed out that he has no picture of himself as baby to show his kids as, according to his parents, nobody was talking about photographs amid Nigeria/Biafra war since the only thing that mattered then was survival.
The NNL boss, who expressed satisfaction with the successes recorded by the country’s second tier league since he took over, advocated government hands off running football club sides, arguing that clubs will be better managed by private individuals and communities as it is done in other climes.
“It’s unfortunate that governments are still managing professional club sides in this country, and our football can never grow with government ownership of clubs. All we need to do and encourage is to have community based clubs and private ownership of club sides, and things will begin to change.
“When you look at Remo Stars that’s privately owned, you will discover that the club is well managed without government subvention. Even at the NNL, Sporting Supreme flies their players to match venues, and yet it’s owned by an individual. So, we must discourage government involvement in our football.” The NNL boss while appreciating the Chairman of NFF, Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, for the opportunity given to him to serve, identified paucity of funds as the greatest challenge facing his board just as he appealed to corporate organisations to take interest in NNL to make the country’s lower league stronger and attractive. “I must continue to express my appreciation to Alhaji Gusau for finding me worthy to serve as NNL chairman and a board member of the NFF. “My appeal is that corporate organizations should come to our aid and do what GTI is doing for the NPFL. We’re not saying they should give us money to put in our pockets, let them take care of referees indemnity and once this is done, the referees will not be intimidated but rather be at their best and it will now be possible for teams to be winning on the road as is presently being witnessed in the NNL.”
The governing body of Football in Nigeria,NFF has expelled two “demon” referees for bring the beautiful game to disrepute in the Nigeria National League fixture in Deutse.
Centre Referee Zaharadeen Nasiru of the Katsina State Referees Council and one of his Assistant ,Usman Auwalu from Borno State Council have been expelled for their acts in discrediting football .The Football arbiters awarded questionable goals and penalty to the home team,Jigawa Golden Stars of Deutse in a Conference D ,day 13 encounter with Sporting Supreme Football club of Abuja to gift Jigawa a 2-1 victory.
In a letter signed by Ameenu Mohammed v NFF/CAF referee instructor on behalf of the Chairman of the NFF Referees Committee, and made available NNL,the NFF viewed the action of the umpires as “Serious natured one that has brought the refereeing and the game in Nigeria into disrepute.
It therefore, concluded that Messrs Zaharadeen Naisiru and Usman Auwalu be expelled with immediate effect from the Nigeria National League and refereeing.
In inglorious video of the match in Dutse gone viral displays two players of Jigawa Golden Stars openly scoring with their hands like in Volleyball game to the disappointing watch of the referees who allowed goal goal stand and another occasion, awarding a penalty to Jigawa for no reason while a player of Sporting Supreme noded away a corner kick.
