NPL Shifts Super Four To August

The Nigeria Premier League (NPL) has moved the commencement date for the Super Four from July to August this year.
Premier League board chairman, Oyuki Obaseki, told our correspondent that the shift in date for the four-club championship was necessitated by the fact that two of the clubs to take part in the tournament would be engaged in continental club competitions next month.
Obaseki explained that the NPL had looked at the fixtures involving Bayelsa United and Heartland Football Club and realised that it would conflict with the plans of both sides, as they play in the group stages of Africa’s two club competitions - the CAF Confederation Cup and Champions League accordingly.
“Bayelsa United and Heartland are our representatives in CAF-organised club competitions this season. Just like Kano Pillars, the two clubs have done well on the continent. Now we have looked at their fixtures for the competitions and decided to move the Super Four to August so that they can have enough time to prepare for their opening matches and subsequent games,” he said.
But the Premier League board chieftain did not state a particular date in August when the championship would come up.
Obaseki, however, said the venue would still remain Ilorin.
The Edo High Chief further explained that the NPL has also decided to make the Super Four a pre-season tournament to usher in the new season.
He believes that the four-team tournament would help the top four sides to prepare for the new season.
“We have decided to make the Super Four a kind of festival for the four teams that finished in first, second, third and fourth positions last season. It will also be a pre-season tournament for them,” he said.
He cleared the air that the tournament would have any effect on the regular league season results, as it was being confused earlier.