The highly anticipated launch date of the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) is December 28, 2022/2023
After all, the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season announced by the Interim Management Committee (IMC) may not see the light of day.
That’s because members of the whistle-blowing profession, the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA), have vowed not to go near the playing field anytime soon unless their three years of unpaid match fees are approved by the IMC.
Reports say IMC is now in charge of reviving the country’s elite soccer league, which was in a coma even before the federal government launched the contrived League Management Company (LMC) headed by Malam Shehu Dikko, the former second Vice President of Nigeria, deleted. Football Association (NFF).
Most NRA members are now battling anyone involved in the dominance of soccer in Nigeria, promising any attempt to start a new season of league soccer, especially the NPFL, aborting without paying them the three-year tender accrued fees.
A respected NRA member who requested anonymity revealed that most NRA members are more determined than ever to take control of their destiny by boycotting the proposed 2022/2023 football championship until their three years of unpaid membership fees will not be paid in full. Aggrieved NRA members say they are pained that the IMC, which was set up by Sports and Youth Development Minister Sunday Dare and is chaired by Gbenga Elegbeleye, with veteran football administrator Chief Davidson Owumi as Chief Operating Officer, held a series of meetings with so-called ‘club owners’ but refused to contact members of the NRA, who are key players in football in Nigeria.
This is despite the media rife with reports of IMC and the 20th Club Owners Meeting next week in Abuja to confirm the launch date of the 2022-23 NPFL season with referees still three years to go. unpaid match indemnities.
The referees are ready to engage in a street fight, if necessary, to ensure that IMC’s three-year cumulative match compensation is paid to them before football resumes in Nigeria.
For example, some of the evidence obtained from members of the NRA reads in part:
“Referees have not been paid for the last 3 years. The remuneration of the arbitrators has not been paid for more than 3 years. With the 3 years of unpaid compensation, how can we start a new season?
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Another read: “NRA Chairman TADE AZEEZ’s term would end on February 8, 2023. So far nothing has been done to indicate whether there will be an election or NO. “How can IMC start a new football season without paying the amounts due The indemnities belonged to the ARBITRATORS”.
Meanwhile, club owners have agreed to a December 28 launch date and an abbreviated league format, with the 2022/2023 campaign due to end in May 2023. The NPFL’s 20 teams are split into two groups, with the top two teams from each group meeting in a league format to determine the eventual winner, just as some clubs are required to play their home games at neutral venues after the tournament
Clubs affected include Sunshine Stars of Akure, Ondo State; Nasarawa United of Lafia and Lobi Stars FC of Makurdi, Benue State. These clubs are supposed to play their home games away from home fans.
