Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side Akwa United have given its players a two-day break ahead of the proposed resumption of the 2017/18 league season next weekend.
United are placed second on the league log after the twenty-four round of matches decided before the World Cup break in June, a break which has been prolonged due to the internal crisis that rocked Nigerian football between July and this month.
After the seeming resolution of the crisis last Monday, it emerged during the week that the League Management Company (LMC) have submitted a proposed calendar for the continuation of the league which is expected to start on the weekend of September 2.
Akwa United, like other top division clubs in Nigeria had resumed for the remaining part of the league season since early July and have since played series of inter-club friendly matches while the football crisis lingered.
While most clubs gave their players a mini-holiday for the recent Eid-Mubarak break in Nigeria (on Tuesday and Wednesday), Akwa, fondly called the Promise Keepers remained in camp but have now given their players the weekend off as they gear up for the season’s run-in.
The team will reconvene next Monday ahead of their game against Kwara United in Ilorin next weekend. Akwa United have forty-one points and are placed second on the log behind league leaders Lobi Stars who have forty-three points with fourteen matches left to play.
United defeated their development team, Akwa Starlets (who themselves compete in the second tier of Nigerian league, NNL) 2-0 in their last friendly game last Friday. Defender Dennis Nya and Ubong Friday scored the goals for Abdu Maikaba’s men.
