Ahead the 2020/21 season of the Nigeri Professional Football League (NPFL ), indications are that the Clubs are determined to substantially comply with the provisions of the Club Licensing Requirements. The League Management Company (LMC) had on August 6 sent a memo to all the 20 clubs with the Confederation of African Football (CAF)/ Nigeria Football Federation (N F F) Licensing requirements. The LMC had while noting that the Federal Government was yet to lift the ban on football activities as a result of the COVID 19 Pandemic, urged the clubs to begin to put in place those requirements that can be achieved within the ambit of the relaxation of the lockdown. A number of the Clubs’ leaders who spoke to www.npfl.ng affirmed that they are already working to meet the requirements especially in the area of stadium facilities, safety, security, medical, technical and financial.
Amobi Ezeaku, the Team Manager of Rangers International, lamented the negative impact of the global pandemic on the club’s preseason program but noted that the club has made appreciable progress in getting certifications from health, security, safety and environment agencies.
Isaac Danladi, the Chairman of Nasarawa United also rued the effects of the pandemic on the overall health of football activities and declared that by way of complying with Licensing requirements, the club is in good stead.
Sources at Plateau United and Kano Pillars told npfl.ng that th eir respective state governments have made funds available for the upgrade of facilities and meeting other financial obligations. Assessing the impact of the pandemic on Rangers activities, Ezeaku said, “it has really twisted our preseason plans. It has been difficult, from the loss of our player in a fatal accident to having players individually train at home. “In as much as the Technical Crew gave the players dai ly programs, we understand the importance of bonding together as a team and the gains of such. We hope that soon the green light for the players to return would be given, the tests conducted and normalcy returned”. Nasarawa United Chairman, Danladi also spoke of the challenges the club has been facing due to the pandemic and noted that “the crises have greatly affected our preseason arrangements basically in the area of physical training and football activities which have been suspended by the NFF and the Federal Government through the Presidential Task Force on the pandemic.
