The Nigeria Football Federation has endorsed a proposal by the League Management Company for the 2020-21 season of the Nigeria Professional Football League to start “anytime from Sunday, 15 November 2020.

The NFF gave its blessing to the suggested date following a virtual meeting if its Executive Committee on Tuesday.

A communiqué from the meeting stated the league would run until July 2021.

The announcement follows the recent lifting by the federal government of restrictions on all contact sports which paved the way for the resumption of competitive football which had been banned since 18 March as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Plateau United, Enyimba and Rivers United finished in the top three positions of the truncated 2019-20 NPFL with final positions decided on the basis of points per game.

The Executive Committee also directed other professional leagues including the second-tier Nigeria National League (NNL), all women’s professional leagues and the third-tier Nationwide League One (NLO) to “synchronize their calendars with that of the NPFL with each of them commencing within three weeks of the elite league”.

The Executive Committee stressed that all competitions will resume with strict adherence “to the Federal Government’s COVID19 protocols and other requirements as may be prescribed”.

In addition, the Executive Committee highlighted that mandatory compliance to club licensing regulations is non-negotiable for clubs willing to take part in the NPFL.