The five clubs that initially aborted the Nigeria National League Super 8 may again boycott the tournament that has been rescheduled for this Saturday in Aba.

According to information gathered from leading Nigerian newspaper, ThisDay, there are strong indications that the proposed kickoff may not hold in spite of the fact that the parent body, Nigeria National League (NNL) had succumb to NFF.

Although as at Wednesday night, all seems to be going on well following a formal letter written by NNL’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Lawrence Katken for a change in date of the mini tournament by two days.

However, Thisdaysports check on Thursday revealed that the five clubs that aborted the initial date of the promotion tournament  had no travel plan for the event based on the findings.

The five stay away clubs are Shooting Stars of Ibadan, Bendel Insurance of Benin, Remo Stars of Ikenne, Kada FC and Kogi United while Delta Force. When the mini-tournament was to hold last year December, only Real Stars and Gombe United travelled to Aba for the aborted tournament.

“As this afternoon (Thursday) there is no plan that our team will travel out of our base but I am aware of high level consultation between NFF, NNL and all the participating clubs and whatever comes out of the meeting I don’t think the Saturday date can work considering the fact that the event is not a friendly or pre-season tournament but a promotion tournament which is the reason for our reward for a whole season,” a top official to one of the clubs said in a telephone interview.

One of the ‘aggrieved’ five clubs’ official even explained further that during normal league season, the players are programmed with their diet and social live but all is absent now meaning that it will take some time before the players to attain match fitness although the camp is already opened for coming season.

While all the clubs are monitoring the high wired meeting that is ongoing, investigation also revealed that all the clubs also monitoring one another so as not to be schemed out since only four out of eight will gain promotion into elite division.

All efforts to reach the Media officer of NNL, Amar Ignis proved abortive as all lines could not be reach for comments.

Meanwhile, the League Management Committee (LMC) chieftain, Shehu Dikko had insisted that the 2018/19 football season will kickoff on scheduled 13th January and it is not clear how the NNL programme will fit in.

The COO of NNL Katken, had written to NFF requesting for a two-day postponement. The letter seeking  postponement of the disputed playoff and addressed to the Glasshouse, it stated that “Sequel to our meeting on 27th December, 2018 held in Lagos we hereby request for the shift of date for the commencement of the Super 8 from the 3rd to 5th January, 2019.

“This is to enable the concerned club’s to effect the resolution of the meeting in good time.”

The action seems to put to rest the stalemate that most pundits had envisaged considering the fact neither of the two bodies, NNL and the Nigeria Professional League Committee (NPFL) was willing to shift its ground while the logjam persist.

The logjam, Thisdaysports recalled that the former Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria National League (NNL), Bukola Olopade, in the heat of the crisis resigned as the CEO of the NNL citing breach of the agreement between the NFF and NNL.

He had insisted having the playoff to produce four teams that will join the professional league rank  NPFL is not the solution to the current challenges facing domestic football scene.

The former Commissioner of Sports in Ogun State, opined that the League Management Company (LMC) and Nigeria Professional Football League Club Owners should accept the initial proposal that promotes all the teams to join the 20 existing clubs in the top division to safe the impending logjam.

Olopade who noted that NPFL management has breached an article in LMC statute by agreeing to prosecute the 2018/19 NPFL season with 24 teams whereas it was clearly stated in the LMC statute that only 20 clubs should participate in the NPFL league.

“The organisers, NPFL must also relegate four teams if they are to accommodate four NPFL in the 2018/19,” he argued.

He said further that “NNL equally has the right to reject demotion of eight teams at the end of the season if four NNL teams were promoted to the elite league from the beginning of the season,” he pointed out.

He insisted that if the Super 8 is played, they management of the leagues are merely postponing the doomsday in Nigeria football because the problem is not over yet.

“NPFL must also relegate four teams because at the end of the season eight clubs will be relegated to the NNL and at that time, NNL also has the right to reject and say they cannot accommodate eight clubs when they promoted four clubs.

“So, even if we solve this problem now by playing the Super 8, we are only postponing doomsday in Nigeria league because the problem will still face us at the end of the season.

“They said that the rule says four teams should be promoted from the NNL to the NPFL. But they have already breached an article in LMC statute which states that only twenty teams should prosecute the NPFL. Therefore, it is wrong for them not to relegate four clubs but wants four clubs to join them from the NNL to make the number of the clubs 24.”

Bukola Olopade in the heat of the crisis resigned as the CEO of the NNL citing breach of the agreement between the NFF and NNL.

NFF had in Asaba agreed to promote eight NNL clubs to the elite league which has made all the eight clubs released some of their players to recruit better legs in preparation ahead of the 2018/19 NPFL season.