Sports

NNL Chairman Aluo Hails NFF President for Tenure Extension, Highlights Achievements and Super 8 Success

Chairman of the Nigeria National League (NNL), George Aluo, has expressed deep appreciation to the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, for granting him a tenure extension, praising the move as an opportunity to consolidate the reforms he has initiated within the country’s second-tier football league.

Aluo, who spoke in Asaba during the ongoing NNL Super 8 Playoffs, said the decision was a vote of confidence in the transformation agenda he embarked upon since taking charge of the league.

“When I was appointed the chairman of the NNL, I vowed to turn the league around and implement major reforms,” Aluo said. “Before we came on board, match officials were owed for a minimum of two years. We paid all outstanding indemnities and ensured new season payments were made. I also inherited staff who were owed four months’ salaries, clearing those debts was my first step to motivate the workforce.”

One of the major reforms Aluo introduced was the introduction of live match broadcasts, a policy that he believes significantly enhanced transparency and competitiveness.

“We made it mandatory in our rules that matches must be streamed live. We partnered with a reliable streaming service to ensure every game was accessible to fans and scouts,” he explained.
“Any club that failed to comply was fined one million Naira. This improved visibility and helped protect match officials from undue pressure.”

Aluo noted that the improved standards allowed clubs to compete fairly, with quality teams able to win matches away from home, an unusual feat in previous seasons. He cited the example of Beyond Limits FC, a youthful team side made up of 16 and 17-year-olds, who clinched the NNL title under his leadership.

“The match officials were free, protected, and motivated to do their job,” Aluo said. “These reforms had a clear and positive impact on the league.”

In addition to financial stability and improved officiating, the NNL under Aluo also focused on capacity building, conducting workshops for coaches and media officers of all 36 participating clubs before the season commenced.

Regarding the ongoing NNL Super 8 tournament in Delta State, Aluo commended its competitiveness and organisation, describing it as a benchmark for the league’s progress.

“I am not disappointed with the standard of play. Until the very last round of games, no team had secured promotion, that speaks volumes about how competitive the Super 8 has become,” he remarked. “The organisation has been almost flawless.”

He also praised the facilities, particularly the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba, which he said allowed players to perform at their best. However, he acknowledged a brief setback at the Jay Jay Okocha Stadium in Ugwashi-Uku, where heavy rains affected the pitch conditions. The issue was quickly addressed as matches were relocated to Ozoro.

“The only shortcoming we had was the pitch at Ugwashi-Uku, which was affected by the rain. We acted fast and moved games to Ozoro, where the facilities were much better,” Aluo added.

The Super 8 concluded with four clubs gaining promotion to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL):

From the Northern Conference:
• Wikki Tourists FC
• Barau FC

From the Southern Conference:
• Warri Wolves FC
• Kun Khalifat FC (Owerri)

With these successes, Aluo reaffirmed his commitment to raising the standards of the NNL even further, pledging to work closely with stakeholders to maintain the momentum gained under his leadership.

Show More

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button

Adblock Detected

Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker