CAF CL SLOT: RIVERS UNITED LOSE OUT AS NFF ENDORSES TABLE

By Olayinka Elebute

Nigeria Professional Football League side, Rivers United has lost out on its battle to be awarded the CAF Champions League slot for 2020/2021 season after the league was aborted due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Rivers United had opposed the head-to-head rule adopted by the League Management Company to hand the slot the Enyimba but the approval of the final table for the 2019/2020 season has put an end to the disagreement.

On Tuesday, the Football Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF endorsed the final table of the NPFL for the 2019/2020 season as prepared and released by the League Management Company, LMC.

At its virtual meeting, held at the instance of the President of NFF, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick, to deliberate on all the issues arising from the forced ending to the season by the COVID-19, the agreement reached by all stakeholders to use the Points-Per-Game (PPG) to determine the final table.

The Committee unanimously recommended that the NFF Executive Committee endorses the LMC decision and the Final Table for the 2019/2020 season in line with the NFF Statutes.

It also charged the LMC to work out its calendar to ensure that very minimal number of matches are postponed for Clubs taking part in continental competitions.

As part of its consultations on the matter, the NFF reached out to both continental-governing body, CAF and world-governing body, FIFA, whose responses affirmed the position of the NFF Football Committee.

With the decision, Rivers United lost out of the opportunity to play in the Champions League to Enyimba of Aba who will join Plateau United for continental championship next season.

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