After a series of postponements and protracted delays, the Nigerian National League (NNL) will kick off across different venues on Wednesday, April 10th, 2019.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) recommended that the 2019 NNL season be further expanded to eight groups to help curtail costs and make logistics more manageable.
What is the format of the 2018/2019 NNL season?
This NNL season will be in an expanded abridged format. Originally, there were supposed to be four groups, but a week before the season they divided again into eight. Clubs in the Northern Conference were further divided into A1, A2, A3, and A4 while clubs in the Southern Conference were divided into B1, B2, B3, and B4.
The NPFL is expected to feature Forty-two (42) teams split in two groups.
How Winners Will be decided?
After the group matches, Group winners will qualify for the playoffs, where Winner in Group A1 will face Group A2 Winners while Winner A3 will lock horns against Group A4 Winners in the Northern Conference.
In the Southern Conference, Winner B1 will go up against Group B2 Winners and Winner B3 will meet Group B4 champions.
Kada City won of last year’s edition of the Nigerian National League.
All the winners from the respective clashes above will then qualify as the four NNL teams to gain promotion into the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL). They will go ahead to play in the Super Four scheduled for Asaba, Delta State where overall champions of the 2018/2019 NNL season will be determined.
Eight (8) Clubs from the Nigeria Nationwide (NLO) League will get promoted into the NNL while eight (8) NNL clubs will get relegated to the (NLO) at the end of the season.
The Complete List of Teams Competing In the 2019 NNL Season
Forty-two (42) teams will be competing for the four promotion spots in the 2019/20 NPFL season and have been divided into eight groups.
Northern Conference
GROUP A1
KADUNA UTD
NAF FC
MALUMFASHI FC
EFCC FC
DELTA FORCE FC (KADA CITY)
GROUP A2
FC TARABA
KOGI UTD
YARMALIGHT FC
FC ZAMFARA
JIGAWA G’STARS FC
GROUP A3
REAL STARS FC
GREEN BERET FC
BIMO FC
RARARA FC
ROAD SAFETY FC
GROUP A4
GIODANO FC
MIGHTY JETS FC
ADAMAWA FC
SOKOTO UTD
AKLOSENDI FC
Southern Conference
GROUP B1
SHOOTING STARS
ABIA COMETS
BAYELSA UTD
OSUN UTD
GIANT BRILLAS FC
GROUP B2
AKWA STARLETS
JOSSY FC
J.ATETE FC
36 LION FC
STATIONERY STORES FC
DE SAPELE FC
GROUP B3
NNEWI UTD
ROVERS UTD
DYNAMITE FC
GATEWAY UTD
EKITI UTD
GROUP B4
CROWN FC
WARRI WOLVES
IBOM YOUTH FC
WORD OF LIFE FC
LAMRAY UTD
2018/2019 NNL MATCH DAY 1 FIXTURES
10th April, 2019
GROUP A1
Kaduna UTD vs Bye (6)
NAF Fc vs EFCC FC
Malumfashi FC vs Kada City
GROUP A2
FC Taraba vs Bye (6)
Kogi Utd vs Yarmalight FC
FC Zamfara vs Jigawa G’ Stars FC
GROUP A3
Real Stars FC vs Bye (6)
Green Beret FC vs Bimo FC
Rarara FC vs Road Safety FC
GROUP A4
Giordano FC vs Mighty Jets FC
ABS FC vs Sokoto Utd
Adamawa UTD vs Aklosendi FC
GROUP B1
Giant Brillars FC vs Bye (6)
Shooting Stars vs Abia Comets FC
Bayelsa Utd vs Osun Utd
GROUP B2
Akwa Starlets vs Jossy FC
J.Atete FC vs 36 Lion FC
Stationery Stores vs De Sapele Lion FC
GROUP B3
Nnewi Utd vs Bye (6)
Rovers FC vs Dynamite FC
Gateway Utd vs Ekiti UTD
GROUP B4
Crown FC vs Bye (6)
Warri Wolves vs Ibom Youths FC
Word Of Life FC vs Lamray Utd
