Eight Teams Fight For NNL Survival As Hostility Begins In Kano

Eight Teams Fight For NNL Survival As Hostility Begins In Kano

By Admin

Eight teams are set to avoid the drop with the thrill of playing in the 2023/24 Nigeria National League (NNL) season.

Adamawa United, Abubakar Bukola Saraki (ABS) of Ilorin, Kwara State, Edel of Awka, Anambra State, FWC-Champions of Abuja, Henserd of Yenagoa, Bayelsa state; Ikorodu City (Lagos), Smart City (Lagos) and Sokoto United, second to the bottom after regular periods in the 2022/2023 season will compete for survival in the most important domestic football in Nigeria.

The Relegation Play offs offers a lifeline to the eight teams in each of the eight abridged divisions both in the Northern and Southern Conferences of the NNL.

It will be the most competitive survival battle of the season in NNL.

The battle ground is the 16,000 capacity Sani Abacha stadium, located inside the city, Festival road, Kofar Mata area of Kano, Nigeria’s commerce centre.

The stadium named after former Nigeria military ruler (Head of state) Late General Sani Abacha, is the home ground of Nigeria Premier league football outfit, Kano Pillars who just returned to the elite division after gaining promotion in the NNL Super 8 Play-Offs held at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, Delta state last month.

The Sani Abacha stadium, now with artificial turf opened in 1998 has hosted Africa Cup of nation’s matches and the FIFA U-17 games.

The eight teams are expected to arrive the Groundnut Pyramid City of Kano on or before Friday 5th, August, 2023 with the draw scheduled to hold the next day (Saturday).

Hostilities will begin on Monday 7th.

Four games will hold each of the three playing days, making a total of twelve matches in the relegation play offs.

The relegation play is crucial to enable the Nigeria National league conclude the number of twelve (12) teams to be dropped to the 3rd tier Nigeria domestic football league, the Nation-Wide (NLO).

The already relegated clubs are :

1.FC Ebedei-Shagamu (Ogun)

2.Go-Round, Omoku (Rivers)

3.Green Berets, Zaria (Kaduna)

4.Ibom Youths, Ikot-Ekpene (Akwa-Ibom)

5.Joy Comeths (Lagos)

6.Kogi United, Lokoja

7.Police Machine FHQ (Gombe), and

8.Zamfara United.

Credit: Official NNL