NWFL Scraps 2019/2020 Season, Urges Great Outing at CAF Women Champions League
The management committee of the Nigeria Women Football League headed by Aisha Falode in conjunction with women clubs owners and managers have unanimously agreed to scrap the 2019/2020 season, in the three tiers of the women’s league, for sake of protecting the health of the players and officials in the various clubs, in line with the Covid-19 protocols.
This decision was reached, among others, in a Video Conference on Tuesday, July 7, 2020, between NWFL Chairperson and Clubs Chairmen.
According to a press release by the NWFL board, In the communique signed after the virtual meeting, by one of the clubs’ chairmen, Abdul Sule, it was also agreed that clubs should be encouraged to prepare for 2020/2021 season contingent upon the time the protocol for resuming sporting activities is approved, as the league will resume after approval has been given to the Protocol for the resumption of sporting activities document submitted by the Minister of Sports to the COVID-19 Taskforce and the National Assembly and NFFlifts the ban on Football activities.
The meeting also agreed that clubs are to continue to observe the existing Protocol guidelines put in place by the NCDC and the COVID-19 Presidential Taskforce as the League Board will not compromise standards, therefore, 2020/2021 will continue by abiding by the existing registration and every club should ensure that all necessary registration requirement should be put in place, as all registration for 2019/2020 will be carried over to
2020/2021.
According to the communique, clubs to use the period of the break to complete all registration processes including evidence of up to date payment of salaries to their players.
In view of the approval of CAF to commence the CAF Women Champions
League in 2021, it was agreed that the 2020/2021 Nigeria Women Premier League the season will be structured as a full season (Straight League) with a plan to organize another draw for this purpose.
The league leadership urged all clubs to display and give quality
representation on the continent during the inaugural CAF Women
Champions League. Club are advised to give a good account of themselves.
Also at the virtual meeting, the Head of NWFL Management Committee, Aisha Falode briefed the club chairmen and managers of FIFA COVID-19 Solidarity fund relief to the Confederation and National Associations with specific reference to $500,000.00 USD to each National Association for women football development, noting that It is the prerogative of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to determine the breakdown.
The meeting also urged club owners to unite themselves and put the past behind, for the sake of women football growth in Nigeria. And most importantly, the meeting eventually resolved the Issue of faction between the club owners and it is now one family.
The 2019-2020 NWPL season was initially scheduled to start in March but it was suspended due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.