Flykite Productions, the organisers of the Naija Super 8, have promised football-loving Nigerians that the inaugural edition of the tournament will be filled with premium excitement.
According to a statement issued by the company, the Managing Director, Mr Jenkins Alumona stated that the tournament, which is licensed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and is fully backed by the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) and the Nigerian National League (NNL) among other major stakeholders, will introduce excitement-filled innovations that will reignite fan interest in local football clubs.
“The Naija Super 8 is an off-season football tournament, which is set to disrupt the Nigerian club football terrain. It is a fan-driven tournament because we understand that football is nothing without them. It is worthy of note that the tournament is open to clubs currently participating both in the Nigerian Professional Football League and the Nigerian National League. Regardless of your league status, as long as you have the fans behind you, you have a good chance of making it to the playoffs.
“We want to assure football fans that the tournament will exceed their expectations. It promises to be exciting and rewarding for both the clubs and the fans. The fans can also expect musical performances from A-list artistes to complement the thrill of exciting football to be played at the Mobolaji Johnson Stadium, Onikan, Lagos State throughout the course of the main tournament,” Alumona was quoted to have said.
The first stage of the tournament commenced on April 10 when the voting portals were opened to enable football fans to select their choice clubs for the playoffs. The voting is expected to close on Friday May, 12.
The top ranked from each of the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria will proceed to the playoffs which will hold at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, between June 2-3, 2023.
The six winners from the playoffs, alongside two wildcards, selected by the organisers, will then compete in the main tournament.
The main tournament, which is set to hold between June 16 to June 25, will see the eight clubs compete to collectively earn over N100 million.
Alumona expressed confidence that the tournament’s attractive financial rewards will spur the clubs to perform at a high standard.
“The Naija Super 8 has an attractive financial reward package for the clubs competing in the tournament and we believe this will bring the best out of the clubs.
“Each will earn N3 million per match. The winner will go home with N25 million and a trophy, while the runner-up will get N9 million. Best player of each match will get N250,000, while the players who make the club of the season will be rewarded with N100,000 each,” he said.
He also assured all football loving Nigerians that maximum security measures have been put in place ahead of the tournament to enable them to enjoy the games.
