The Nigeria Professional Football Club Owners Association has threatened to withdraw from this year’s Aiteo Cup Competition over the picking of fourth placed Kwara United in the just-concluded Nigeria Professional Football League(NPFL) to complete the two slot where Remo Stars which finished third, already qualified for the 2022/2023 Confederation of African Football Cup.
The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to a list of clubs for the CAF Confederation Cup where one of our members -clubs, Kwara United FC was nominated as the country’s representative to the CAF slot meant for the winner of the Aiteo Cup.
. The chairman of the association, Mr Isaac Danladi, a lawyer, reasoned that inasmuch as it was not against the nomination of Kwara United FC for the slot, it however express displeasure over the nomination because the slot was designed for the winner of the Aiteo Cup.
Danladi in the statement noted that if such a decision was to be taken, clubs needed to be informed earlier to avoid “a waste of resources and energy playing the Aiteo cup.”
He added that the slot, according to CAF, was meant for the FA Cup winners, NFF having set a precedent before now with Kano Pillars FC.
“We made contacts with the federation expecting their response before the close of work today otherwise the eight clubs in the quarter finals will have no other option than to stop further participation and withdraw from the Aiteo Cup,” he maintained.
The chairman, therefore, urged clubs affected by this development to remain calm and await further necessary action, saying the body’s decision was premised on the doctrines of justice, equity and fair play as “injustice to one is injustice to all”.
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