By Daily Sports on October 10, 2019

The beauty of preseason matches and competitions in Nigeria includes having teams play in less rancorous atmospheres where the players and clubs have a more conducive ambiences to show how good they are.

All too often, competitive league matches in Nigeria are blighted by accusations of cheating as clubs desperately try to get the upper hand against others in the high stake battles for winning the league or avoiding the drop. 

Preseason games offer fans the opportunity of glimpsing the true quality of players and teams in Nigeria and this will be the case in Ughelli, Delta State, when clubs of the Nigerian Nationwide League (NNL) take part in a top preseason competition.

The competition will run from the 24th to 28th of October and will take place at the Ughelli Township Stadium.

Teams which have been invited include Dynamite Force of Iyanmo, Edo State, who narrowly missed promotion to the NPFL last season when they lost their final play-off game to Warri Wolves of Delta state on penalty shootout.

Other invited clubs include Bayelsa United, Calabar Rovers, Abia Comets, Cynosure FC of Ebonyi and NAF, Abuja.

Interestingly, some NPFL sides including Warri Wolves and Delta Force have been notified and would be on standby to participate if the NPFL fails to kick off in the scheduled date of October 20.

These clubs have engaged in aggressive players recruitments in the last few months and have been fine-tuning preparations for the league. The Ughelli preseason will be a major avenue to test how they are shaping up as it promises lots of thrills.

Event coordinator of the Ughelli preseason Johnbul Onome says Ughelli is ready to host the clubs.

“We are good to go as far as organising this competition is concerned. Ughelli Stadium is ready, hotel accommodations are in good shape and the good people of Ughelli await with excitement the top clubs of NNL and possibly NPFL football,” Onome says.

Ughelli is fast developing in a major national football hub, hosting big football matches and competitions in recent years thanks to the efforts of people like Onome.

“Fans should be ready for good football in Ughelli in this preseason competition. The invited teams all have quality players and with the conducive environment that Ughelli offers, this is a fantastic opportunity for good football,” Onome adds.

West African And Northern Nigeria Grassroots Clubs Set to Storm Ughelli for National Under-21 Football Festival

Preparations for the national Under-21 football festival scheduled for Ughelli is hoting up as youth teams from Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire have reportedly indicated their interest in participating in the competition.

It is also understood that several clubsides from the northern part of Nigeria have enrolled for the tournament, such is the interest in participating in one more big football event.

Damaturu Football Academy of Yobe State and Jazzy Stars Football club of Jos are among the northern clubs who have both registered the huge football festival.

The head of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the festival Johnbul Onome expresses excitement with the wide interest the competition is generating. “Jazzy Stars and Damaturu Football Academy are among the latest teams from the North to signify their readiness for this festival that seeks to bring people, especially youths from near and far together in unity under the platform of healthy football competition. I am excited to see these clubs and the good people of Ughelli awaits them,” Onome said.

Meanwhile, JMT FC of Owo in Ondo, Clibber FC and Benin Warriors FC both of Benin City, Edo state are also set for the grand event and will be hitting Ughelli to compete in the festival.

An official of JMT said: “We are ready for the game.”

Also ready to ensure a smooth tournament is Onome. He assures visiting clubs of a nice time during the festival.

“I promise the visiting clubs and their officials that they will enjoy themselves in Delta State,” said Onome.

The national Under-20 tournament will hold from November 1 to 10. Registration for the competition closes on October 25th.

•PHOTO: Johnbul Onome, LOC chairman of the NNL preseason cup and National Under-20 football festival both holding in Ughelli

Source Daily Sports

Posted October 10, 2019

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