Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
The Chief Operating Officer of the Nigeria National League (NNL), Emmanuel Adesanya, has directed all participating teams in the 2020/2021 season to submit names of their preferred venues for home matches to the secretariat of the League body on or before September 23.
Adesanya warned that venues for matches must be different from training pitches and that both shall be inspected before the commencement of the new season.
While warning that home teams must ensure safety for visiting clubs to their home grounds, “NNL matches must be safe, appropriate and should meet the facility requirements, as stipulated in the NNL rule books.”
He said that stadiums assessment that will follow “is to ascertain compliance and level of readiness to host the 2020/2021 NNL matches.
Adesanya said clubs are mandated to provide functional electronic Score board in their home grounds and in the absence of such, a manual Score board with a black background (minimum size of 8×5 meters) should be in place.
Other requirements before the new season will take off include; a fortified perimeter fencing of at least two meters in height and a functional dressing rooms for teams and match officials.
The league boss warned that the NNL may consider an alternative venue for stadium(s) that fall short of the requirements stipulated above.
Meanwhile, the NNL has mandated clubs to supply official email and other contact details for easy communication with the league body.
“This is with a view to put an end to sending official correspondences to individuals or unauthorized email accounts. It must be the official email of the various clubs that we will henceforth be dealing with.”
Adesanya said, “claims in the past by some clubs that they do not get NNL correspondences will be put to an end with the take off of the new season when clubs provide us with their official (authorized) communication channels.”
“We at the NNL consider communication a key factor in our attempt to revamp the most important league in the country.
“This matter is urgent and must be treated as such by all clubs.”
The NNL also said the League will only resume in adherence to the instructions of the Nigeria Football Federation, Federal Ministry of Sports and the Presidential Task-Force regulations on Covid-19 protocols.
