NNL Kickoff Date For 2023/24 Season To Be Decided After AGM

• Nigeria National League (NNL) plans to start new season in September or early October, aligning with global football schedules
• NNL Chairman George Aluo emphasizes AGM importance to determine new season’s kickoff and improve league standards

With the success of the 2022-23 season concluded in August, the Nigeria National League (NNL) has set September or the first week of October as the kickoff frame-time for the new season.

Heartland were crowned champions last season after defeating Kano Pillars 2-0 in the Super 8 final in Asaba, while Sokoto United, Adamawa United, Ikorodu City, and Smart City all retained their NNL status after surviving relegation playoffs in Kano.

The chairman of the NNL board, George Aluo, hinted at the plans for the upcoming season, which will revolve around matching the kickoff date with the European season, in accordance with the directive of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Ibrahim Gusau.

The Nigerian football season has always lagged behind the rest of the world, but the NFF leadership has vowed to reverse the trend.

The NNL Chairman reiterated the country’s governing body’s position and revealed that the board will address it as part of its agenda at the Annual General Meeting (AGM).

First of all, I’m happy that we have concluded the season with the relegation playoffs.

We now know the relegated clubs to the NLO and those who are remaining in the NNL and, having ended the league successfully, we are now going to look at the 2023-24 season, he stated.

The first thing before we start the season is to hold our Annual General Meeting (AGM) where the club owners will come in and then we will rub minds with them as a board and decide when the new season will start.

He then confirmed that the AGM would decide the direction of the new season.

We are looking at September or October in line with the directive of President of Nigeria Football Federation Ibrahim Gusau that we should align our league with the rest of the world, the Nigeria Premier League will be starting later this month so we are looking at September or worst case scenario first week of October.

The actualisation of this plan underlines the urge by the board to improve the standards at the NNL.