By Gracious Akujobi The National U-23 team ( Dream Team) and National U-20 team (Flying Eagles) have been invited to participate in the 2014/2015 Glo Premier League pre-season tournament which will hold from January 22-February 2 in Abuja.
The League Management Company (LMC), which announced the dates said the invitation was at the instance of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as part of the Federation’s evolving plans to adequately prepare the teams for the continental championships commencing from February this year.
The pre-season tournament, an annual fixture in the calendar of the LMC will feature the top three clubs on the log of the 2013/14 season plus the Federation Cup winner and will serve as tune-up for the clubs to test their newly signed players and also perfect their competitive game plans for continental club championships due to commence in February.
The four clubs are league winners, Kano Pillars, Enyimba International, Warri Wolves and Dolphins FC, runners-up to Enyimba in the Federation Cup.
The tournament will be played on a round rubbing structure with each team playing five matches over five match days within a ten-day period. Accordingly, three matches will be played on each match day.
“Though this is our usual pre-season activity, it is happening this time with a marked difference in that we would be having the national teams, the Dream Team and the Flying Eagles joining the traditional four clubs representing Nigeria in all CAF Club competitions to participate in the tournament with the sole objective to ensure that the six participating teams prepared adequately for their continental engagements starting next month”, explained the LMC Chief Operating Officer, Salihu Abubakar.
He also disclosed that the pre-season activities will also include capacity building workshops for club captains, coaches, medical officers, club media officers, Managers and Match Commissioners.
“One of the topical issues of the league presently is the funding of clubs in the reality of dwindling government revenue earnings at all levels and there is a great opportunity to educate the Club Managers/Owners on alternative sources of funding especially the revenue funding opportunities available through Community Ownership of clubs”, Abubakar further explained.
Enyimba International won last season’s tournament that also featured Kano Pillars, Bayelsa United and Warri Wolves.
