16 Clubs Boycott Abridged Npfl Draw In Abuja

…as club owners insist on regular season

The contentious draw of the 2022/23 Nigeria Professional Football League season was conducted on Wednesday in Abuja, with only four clubs 3SC, Remo Stars, Niger Tornadoes and newly promoted Doma United in attendance, while the 16 others, who preferred the full league, were absent in protest over the format of the league

While the draw signaled the readiness of the Interim Management Committee to proceed with the abridged format of the league, the decision of the IMC to adopt format for the 2022/23 season didn’t go down well with most of the clubs, with the Club Owners Association, the umbrella body of the 20 NPFL clubs, rejecting the abridged league.

Secretary of the Club Owners Association, Alloy Chukwuemeka, confirmed to The PUNCH that only four clubs attended the ceremony, while the 16 others, who boycotted the event, showed that the club owners maintained their position on the format of the league.

He also said that the proposed meeting of the club owners for Asaba, the Delta State capital, didn’t hold on Wednesday in order to seek ways of reaching a compromise over the much-debated format.

Our meeting in Asaba didn’t hold because we wanted to embrace peace,” Chukwuemeka said. “I think all of us are working together, because it is all about coming together on a roundtable so that we can fashion a way forward. The progress of football is the main thing, it is not about interest.

“We hope in the coming days, we will all come together with the IMC and NFF so we can forge ahead on a common front. Without that, the club owners stand is on a straight league and we showcased it today (Wednesday) by not attending the draw. And the voting we did earlier came out as well, 16-4,” Chukwuemeka said

At the event held in Abuja, the 20 clubs were divided into two groups of 10 teams each with the league set to commence January 8, 2023 and end in May 2023, as projected by the IMC.

Group A of the abridged league has Kwara United, Nasarawa United, last season’s runners-up Plateau United, newly promoted Gombe United and Bendel Insurance, as well as El Kanemi Warriors.

Eight-time champions Enyimba, 2021 champions Akwa United, Shooting Stars and Remo Stars complete the teams in Group A.

In Group B, champions Rivers United are joined by Niger Tornadoes, newly promoted Doma United and Bayelsa United, Wikki Tourists, Lobi Stars, Abia Warriors, Dakkada FC, Enugu Rangers and Sunshine Stars.

Match-day one fixtures in both groups were also released and that will see Rivers begin their title defense in Group B against Lobi.

According to the proposal of the IMC, a Super Six play-offs of the top three teams from each group will be played to determine the eventual champions of the season, while the winners will earn a sum of N100m, just as each club will receive a N10m take-off grant before the start of the season.

Some NPFL clubs, including those in attendance and those that were absent, have posted the draw updates on their various social media accounts.

Shooting Stars of Ibadan posted an official confirmation of the draw on Twitter.

“We have been drawn in Group A alongside Nasarawa United, Enyimba, Akwa United, Bendel Insurance, Plateau United, Gombe United, Kwara United, Remo Stars, Elkanemi Warriors.

“We head for the Tin City Jos for the league opener against Plateau Utd on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023,” the club tweeted after the draw.

Enyimba also posted a photo of two of its players after the draw with the caption, “Name a job that brings more joy. We’re waiting! #Elephant.”

Tornadoes, Remo and Dakkada also posted the draw ceremony on their social media handles.

Stakeholders are of the opinion that most government-owned clubs kicked against the abridged league because it would not allow them milk their governments financially based on the number of matches they have to play in the season: 38 matches for full season compared to 18 matches they will play in the abridged format.

“These governments clubs are not ready for the real business of football. As you can see, none of the government clubs are talking about sponsors for their clubs,” a top league source said.

Meanwhile, IMC chairman, Gbenga Elegbeleye, again emphasised on the need for the clubs to abide by regulations guiding the league.

“Clubs have been informed to shun every act of violence during the course of the league.

“Any club which engages in violent conduct will not be sanctioned with N500,000.00 as was the case in the past, but three points will be deducted as punishment. We know what it means to have three points deducted from points already earned by a club in the league,” he said.