NPFL Club Chairman Proposes Date For League Resumption, Says Clubs Are Ready

NPFL Club Chairman Proposes Date For League Resumption, Says Clubs Are Ready

By Niyi Busari

Chairman, Akwa United, Paul Bassey has proposed June 25th as the resumption date for the restart of the 2019/20 Nigeria Professional Football League, BSNSports.com.ng understands.

Bassey opined that if the minister can assure Nigerians that the National Sports Festival will hold, nothing should stop Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL, from resumption, urging NFF and LMC to make sure that the league does not stop halfway.

"Two days ago, i sat down with the minister of sports who can get to the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), and the Ministry of Health. If the Sports minister can agree during his meeting with Commissioners of Sport that the Sports Festival can hold, subject to certain logistic in respect to health infrastructure. Then the NFF should get back to the minister that we are ready to continue the league." Paul Bassey said on Channels TV.

Bassey suggested that two stadiums in two states where there are less cases of coronavirus should be chosen for all the 20 NPFL teams assemble to complete the remaining fixtures. He also urged the NFF to approach the Sports Ministry disclosing their plans to start the league on June 25th.

"If he can give approval for Sports Festival which has about 5,000 athletes, then let us verify covid-19 infrastructure in two states and start the league in such chosen state. We cant wait forever. And we need a plan let us by May 25th plan and restart the league by June 1st present it before the government. By the 25th of June we want to start the league and before then clubs must resume and start training. Then present it before the government then, the government will approve or disapprove it. I am not happy that no one is saying anything.

"The fact that the minister said the Edo 2020 can hold, shows we can continue the league. Once we can guarantee the health security of our players, the matches will be played in two closed stadiums and team shared depending on their geo-political class."