A board member of the Nigeria National League (NNL), Sanni Mohammed Gusau has assured that all four clubs that were promoted to the top-flight from the second-tier division this week will not be relegated next season.
Speaking against the backdrop of promotion tickets secured from the recent NNL Super-8 by El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri, Ikorodu City of Lagos, Nasarawa United of Lafia and the eventual champions, Beyond Limit FA of Ikenne, Gusau affirmed that all four will not be relegated, because they have quality squads.
He went on to cite recent results in the President Federation Cup, where several NNL clubs made it to the quarter-finals, and stressed that it is a confirmation of high standards in the lower flight, compared to the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL).
The northern zone representative in the NNL’s executive committee then took a look at the 2024 Super-8 in Enugu, from which the four promoted clubs emerged, and rated it as the best so far in Nigeria.
Gusau attested, “This Super-8 is the best that I have ever watched in Nigeria’s national league.
“I have been in the NNL for almost nine years, but I have never seen such a wonderful and colourful Super-8 tournament like the one we saw in Enugu. It was very superb.
“That’s why I believe all the four teams that qualified for the NPFL are going there to stay. It’s not an issue of going there and coming back to the NNL next year.
“Even now, we can see in this year’s President Federation Cup that the domination is led by NNL teams.
“That’s why I can brag, and I have to brag confidently, that no NPFL club can scare those in the NNL now. That’s because the standard in the NNL is very high now.”
The NNL top shot then went on to single out all four clubs promoted to the NPFL, citing various reasons behind his confidence in their abilities to avoid relegation next season.
“All the clubs that are going to the NPFL will mot come back to the NNL next year,” Gusau stressed.
“Apart from the champion, Beyond Limit, I can akso vouch for Ikorodu City, it’s a very, very wonderful club.
“Then Nasarawa United … they were in the premier league before now, and it’s just circumstances that brought them back to the NNL; but now they are fully prepared.
“The same for El-Kanemi Warriors. It’s a historic team in the premier league. So, definitely, they all will go there and stay, and I know they will not come back here next year.”
