Heritagenewsng reports that the draws for the NNL Super 8 have been held in Enugu with the nation’s football top guns in attendance.
At the Autella Hotel, venue of the draws, Ekiti state commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Micheal Awopetu in company of the Chairman, Ekiti State House of Assembly on Youth and Sports Development,Hon. Joseph Olatunji and the Special Assistant on Sport,Hon. Kola Owoseni as the transparent proceedings took place right in their presence.
The draws were held in compliance with the best global football practice as officials of teams took turn to pick boxes for the two conferences namely Southern and Northern Conferences.
The Super 8 featuring top 2 teams in each of group A1, A2, B1 and B2 will begin tomorrow (Tuesday) with the match between Gombe United and El-Kanemi Warriors at 1pm while the second match of the day is between Bendel Insurance and 3Sc at 3pm just as DMD face Niger Tornadoes at 5pm and Ekiti United will lock horns with Remo Stars under the flood light at 7pm.
On Wednesday being day 2, actions will begin at 8:30am with El-Kanemi Warriors taking on Niger Tornadoes while 3sc will tackle Remo Stars at 11am and the third match of the day is between Gombe United and DMD at 4pm.
Also under rhe flood light, Ekiti United will play their second match against Brendel Insurance at 6pm.
The group stage ends on Thursday September 9 with DMD facing El-Kanemi Warriors at 8:30am while Ekiti United will trade tackles with 3sc at 11:30am just as Niger Tornadoes slug it out with DMD at 4pm and last match of the day is between Remo Stars and Bendel Insurance at 6pm.
Top two teams in each of group A and B are automatically promoted to the Nigeria Professional Football League-NPFL next season and they will also slug it out in the third place and final of the NNL SUPER 8 to know who eventually wins the title as the kings of Nigeria National League 2021.
Friday will be a rest day for all the teams while the two teams that finish second in group A and B will play the third place match just as the final wll be between the leaders of groups A and B.
Both the third place match and final of the 2021 NNL Super 8 hosted by Enugu State government will come up on Saturday September 11.
Organizers have assured all participating teams of fair play while the Ekiti State Government’s delegation including the Youth and Sports Development Commissioner, Hon.Micheal Awopetu, House Committee chairman on Youth and Sports Development,Hon.
Joseph Olatunji and the Special Assistant on Sport to Ekiti state governor, Hon.Kola Owoseni all expressed gratitude to the governor of Ekiti state who is also the chairman of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum, Dr Kayode Fayemi for the tremendous support given to Ekiti United this far.
They all urged the players to go all out and break the jinx by winning a slot for Ekiti state in the elite soccer league in Nigeria for the first time.
They also promised free meals for the players in a mid to motivate them ahead of their matches while also assuring that some prominent Ekiti people including Commissioner for finance, Hon.Akin Oyebode have promised cash reward for the players if they perform impressively at the Super 8.