NNL announce date and venue for relegation playoff

The management of the Nigeria National League (NNL) has announced the date and venue for the 2022/2023 relegation playoff, www.aclsports.com reports.

Following the conclusion of the promotion playoffs in Asaba where Sporting Lagos and others gained promotion to the topflight, attentions now turn to the relegation playoff that will determine the teams that will be remaining in the second division and those that will be going down to the third tier – Nigeria Nationwide League (NLO).

In a circular dated July 24, 2023, the NNL Board confirmed that the relegation playoff will take place from 6th to 10th August 2023.

“Kano State Government graciously approved the hosting of the playoffs at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano, Kano State where teams will battle it out to secure their positions in the league,” reads a statement from the league body,

The NNL relegation playoff ha Adamawa United FC, ABS FC, FWC Champions FC and Sokoto United FC from the Northern Conference, while Smart City FC, Ikorodu City FC, Edel Football Club, and Henserd FC all come from the Southern Conference.

Mr. Emmanuel Adesanya, the Chief Operating Officer of the NNL, also advised all State Football Associations concerned and the clubs involved, to comply with the attached program. The participating clubs have been requested to arrive in Kano, Kano State, on or before 5th August 2023, to ensure ample time for preparation and acclimatization.

The NNL also made it clear that the participating clubs will be responsible for handling all their logistics, indicating that they will need to shoulder the travel, accommodation, and other related expenses during their stay in Kano.

Just like the promotion playoffs, the teams campaigning at the NNL relegation playoff will be grouped according to their conferences with the top two teams retaining their status for another season, while the others will be relegated to the third tier of Nigerian league football (NLO 1).