Covid-19: LMC Chairman Propose Options To End NPFL

By Akinwale Kasali

With different European Countries strategizing on how to conclude its Football domestic leagues for the 2019/2020 season, the Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL and the League Management Company, LMC are not leaving any stone unturned in ending the league.

LMC Chairman, Shehu Dikko, has proposed four possible options to end the Nigeria Professional Football League season following its suspension since March owing to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

Dikko said, “I can tell you that we already have our plans. At the last virtual meetings, we discussed several plans and our options.

“As we speak, we have four options on the table. And those options are being discussed at the highest level. Even last week, we had a lot of deep conversation with the government, the NFF President, and everyone concerned, evaluating the options.

“The first option that was looked at is the possibility of resuming the league normally. Can we play home and away, finish the remaining 13 games in the season? But it’s a long shot based on what is happening, because even if the country reopens, we are not sure we are going to have the chance for inter-state travels. We are also considering the health of the players and everybody involved.”

He added, “The second option is to look at the possibility of moving the teams to a particular state where we have three stadiums that are not more than two hours within themselves, so we can all stay there for about six to seven weeks and finish the remaining matches at a neutral venue.

“But it is also another long shot because the teams have to move there and be quarantined, we are also considering the financial demands on the clubs.

“For option three, based on the time available, we can just end the league as it is today and then we adjust the table, using the point-per-game system so that we can adjust the teams that have outstanding games and bring all the teams at per. Then we can go on and do a play-off of maybe Super 6, which will determine the champions and the clubs that will go on the continent.

“The play-offs will now be in one venue with six teams, which makes it easier to control and will be completed within 10 days.

“The last option is, if the country can’t open and the government won’t allow football activities to continue, to end the league as it is today and do the adjustment of the table by using the point-per-game system to bring all the teams at par so that sporting merit and fairness can be obtained and three or four teams will represent Nigeria on the continent, depending on what the NFF decides.”

Dikko, however, concluded that the play-offs option seemed the most realistic amongst the others.

“Based on our conversations with not just the clubs, even around the NFF leadership, government authorities and on what is happening with the increase in the number of (COVID-19) cases, I think the most feasible option is option three. At the moment, that will see us going for the play-offs to at least have the fair chance of giving the top teams the chance to compete for the title and also for the CAF competitions.

“For now, that should be on the agenda but with the four options on the table, we will have a conversation with the NFF and then we present it to the government and a collective decision”, he concluded.