The management of the Nigeria National League has warned it will implement the decision of the Executive Board stipulating severe sanctions for clubs that defaulted in the payment of all monies owed the league body.
The NNL Secretary, Lawrence Katken, in a release made available to the media on Tuesday reminded clubs that are indebted to the NNL to do the needful on or before July 21, 2015 or risk being excluded from the league when actions resume on July 25, 2015.
Specifically, Katken called on all clubs that are yet to complete the payment for the NNL match balls to do so on the specific date or forget participating in the second phase of the league.
He said the payment became imperative as the money will be used to procure the match balls to be used in the second stanza of the league.
Katken therefore warned that erring clubs will risk forfeiting their points to their opponents.
Meanwhile, the second stanza of the Nigeria National League is billed to resume on July 25, 2015 throughout the country.
Most of the participating clubs have intensified their training regime in order to post good results in the remaining matches of the season.
Some of the clubs have used the mid-season break and opening of transfer window to shake-up their team composition by either pruning down the number of players for better management or recruiting fresh legs to beef-up their squad ahead of the NNL resumption date.
Among the clubs that are very busy in the transfer market are Gateway Football Club, Ikorodu United FC, Remo Stars and Atiba United, as well as others who are either chasing promotion tickets or battling hard to escape relegation at end of the season.
Abeokuta-based respected sports journalist, Rotimi Oduniyi, who is very close to Gateway FC management, disclosed that the team has recruited new players to help it escape relegation, while some of the players who were found to be unproductive have been shown the way out for the good of the club.
Oduniyi revealed that Gateway FC’s management does not want the club to go down hence the all hands are on deck to save the once darling club of the Ogun State people, adding that the club will go into close camping outside its base to have enough serenity to re-strategize for the tough task of retaining the club in the second tier league next season.
Gateway FC, Akwa Starlets, Atiba United and Nembe City FC are in the bottom four of Division B2, while Bussdor FC, Remo Stars, Ekiti United and Go-Round FC are rooted bottom in Division B1.
In Division A1, Kogi United, Jigawa Golden Stars, Yobe Desert Stars and Spotlight are in danger of dropping off, while in Division A2, Sokoto United, Mighty Jets, FRSC and ABS FC are leading from the rear of the ladder.
Meanwhile, top performers in the first phase are also working hard to maintain their status when the league resumes.
They include Division A1 leaders, Plateau United and Supreme Court, and Division A2 front runners, Niger Tornadoes and Gombe United FC.
Others are Division B1 and B2 leaders, Crown FC, Ikorodu United, MFM and J. Atete FC.
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