Nigerian League Postponed Indefinitely

The 2013/2014 season of the Nigeria Professional Football League, which was initially scheduled to commence on November 20 has been postponed indefinitely.
The postponement was stated by the Chairman of the League Management Committee, Nduka Irabor, in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr. Irabor said the league season will not start until all the clubs in the league are licensed by the world football governing body, FIFA.
“Deadline (for FIFA licensing) is on the 31st of December for all the clubs taking part in football leagues, until we are done with the licensing process we cannot name or state when the league season will start,” he said.
The league boss explained that though FIFA made the rule in 2007, the Nigerian league system was yet to embrace the 6-year-old rule.
“Since 2007, FIFA has directed that all clubs must be licensed. FIFA said all clubs should operate under the same structure in which clubs with license can also take part in all club and continental competitions,” he said.
Mr. Irabor said club licensing has its own obligations, its own rules and regulations which are beneficial to the development of football.
“It has financial, infrastructure, youth development, administration and many obligations. They just made some obligations mandatory the first year, some punishable. You must show solid evidence that you’re capable of sustaining the venture of maintaining a football club.
“Clubs must give guarantee to a certain level that they have all the requirements, most of Africans have accepted and implemented the licensing regime as prescribed by FIFA,” he said.
The league boss also said the season would not start before the conclusion of the African football tournament for home based footballers, CHAN 2014, which will hold in South Africa between January 11 and February 1.
He said after the championship, the league will only start with clubs that have registered with FIFA.
“The league will definitely not start before CHAN is over. If we had a licensing regime in place, we have to consider CHAN.
“After February, if we have some clubs (registered) we will go on; because nothing says we must play with 20 clubs nor does anything say we must play the league.”
Mr. Irabor said with the clubs licensing regime in place, the challenges faced by clubs and player would be reduced.
“The potential of the Nigerian League is very rich. We are doing what has to be done,” he said.
This new directive by the LMC may further damage the relationship between it and club owners who had initially met and announced the dissolution of the L. MC; a move rejected by both the Nigeria Football Federation and the Sports Ministry.