NLO to turn footballers to farmers

Mohammed Alkali, NLO chairman

If the speech of the chairman of the Nationwide League One, NLO, Mohammed Alkali is anything to go by, then players will become farmers when the season is on break.

This disclosure was made yesterday at the Nationwide League One, NLO 2016 Annual General Meeting, AGM held at the Top Rank Hotel Galaxy, Utako, Abuja.

According to him, “The Nationwide League is also having football to farming project and this is aimed at helping the players to engage in farming during their free period within the day. The marketing consultant will shed more light on this noble project.”

This is the first players will combine footballing with farming.

In a related development, the NLO disclosed that they have opened the league to other leagues in the world which will them participate in an invitational tournament in an international Youth Football Tournament in China.

League action

“Coaches in the league will also be having opportunity to equip their technical knowledge of the game more as the Nationwide League will be having training for coaches in partnership with “Search and Groom” through COERVER Coaching Course coming up in September this year in collaboration with the technical department of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF. This is our technical partnership to develop the league,” he further disclosed.

Alkali also noted that they want to develop the league at the cadre hence they have entered into developmental partnership with the League Management Company, LMC where all the premier league clubs will have their feeder teams in the Nationwide League One and the emphasis will be on the Under 19 players, however, the teams allowed to register five over-aged players to accommodate those who might have lost form and want to use the league to gain fitness.

Lastly, the NLO chairman revealed that the Nationwide League games will be broadcasted worldwide. “Plans have already been made to have NLO matches be aired this season from free-to-air, pay tv and live streaming of weekly star matches.”