Chief Executive Officer of the Nationwide League One, Shola Ogunowo, on Friday commended the teams that participated in the league’s opening matches in Nyanya for their excellent display.

The NLO kicked off with matches at the Hovel Prime Stadium, Nyanya, FCT with G-Medix Football Academy defeating Olympic Hybrid FC 5-0 in their opening match.

Mr Ogunowo, who praised the organisation of the match, described it as “near perfect.”

He said, “The spectators were thrilled, and the turnout was impressive, with over 1,000 to 2,000 people watching the match. The match was broadcast live on NTA Sports channel, giving thousands of football fans the opportunity to watch and enjoy the game.’’

He noted that NLO planned to bring the game to the community had finally come to pass.

“The league aims to bring football to local communities, with the first match in Nyanya being a milestone. You can imagine how the second game and subsequent matches will be if this is the first impression. I am very satisfied. And it was because we planned it, and we are succeeding in it because this community has never witnessed an NLO match before. The first impression here will last longer in our memories because you can see the spectators watching the matches and we are very happy.’’

He acknowledged the presence of partners, including MTN, AfrikScout, and Sofa Score, who contributed to the success of the match.

Mr Ogunowo outlined the league’s target to increase the number of participating youths and clubs.

“The NLO aims to include more young, upcoming clubs and promote football development across all states in Nigeria. Some teams failed to meet the registration deadline which posed a challenge. To address this, the league would rejig the fixtures to accommodate teams that fulfilled the registration procedure,” he said.

He added that the league’s 10-year master plan aims to reach 1,000 football clubs by 2030.

He expressed confidence in the league’s progress and growth, citing the increased number of teams allowed to participate from each state.

He stated, “Our aim is to engage more young players in organised football currently estimated to be around 10-20 per cent of potential participants. The league has increased the number of teams from eight to 16 per state, promoting grassroots football development. NLO emphasises adherence to registration deadlines and rules to ensure a smooth, professional league operation in Nigeria.’’

(NAN)