The organizer of the Nigeria Nationwide League (NLO) has named Ado-Ekiti, Benin, Uyo and Lafia as venue of the Division 3 playoff of t he nation’s third- tier league.
Other venues slated to host the playoff include Gombe ,Awka, Sokoto and Birni Kebbi.
The NLO Chief Operating Officer, Sola Ogunnowo told Blueprint sport that the eight centre were painstakingly chosen after very careful consideration in the best interest of the league.
“37 teams are expected, representing each states league winners to replace relegated teams from Division 3.
“Some centers will have 8 teams , others 6 or 4 depending on proximity and composition of each zone. Each host venue will travel to the nearest state to play their own matches in order not to give undue advantage to any team. For example, the team from Ekiti state will play their playoff in Benin, Edo-state.
Teams from Kebbi state, Kano, Katsina ,Zamfara and Jigawa will converge in Sokoto for their play-off. Birni-Kebbi will play host to teams from Sokoto, Kaduna, Kwara and Nigeri-state.
Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Edo and Osun state will do battle in Ado-Ekiti while Edo state will host Ekiti, Kogi, Delta and Akwa-Ibom state.
Akwa-Ibom will play host to Cross River, Rivers, Bayelsa and Anambra while Nasarawa center will have teams from Plateau, Benue ,FCT and Gombe state.
The NLO playoff has been scheduled to now hold from 15 October to 20 October ,2019.
The tournament will be played on round robin basis and the winner from each group will automatically qualify for NLO Division 3.
Ogunnowo told our correspondent that ‘home referees –newly graded ones will officiate all the matches, while all the teams will take care of their transportation and feeding during the football fiesta’.
