BENIN CITY – The proposed South East/ South South pretty season football tournament has been called off by its organisers owing to what the organisers termed as “administrative bottlenecks” allegedly occasioned by the Anambra state football association.
Recall the tournament is meant for football clubs within these two geopolitical zones to keep it ahead of the incoming 2019/2020 Nigerian Professional Football League and the Nigerian National League.
This was contained in a statement signed by the organizing committee spokesperson Mr Akonam Obiefuna.
According to Obiefuna: ” The organisers of South East/ South South (Anambra State) pre season tournament for 2019 wish to regrettably announce that the tournament would no longer hold, we are compelled to call off the tournament due to administrative bottlenecks occasioned by the Anambra State Football Association.”
He lamented that the tournament which was earlier scheduled to kick off on August 20, 2019 was called off a day to the kick off on the grounds that the organisers did not inform the State FA, adding that the competition was again rescheduled for September 3, and September 5, 2019, “and was canceled yet again with no reasons given”.
” Having stopped the tournament from taking off twice which speaks volume on the state FA’s reluctance to grant us a go ahead and based on the fact that the NPFL break is fast coming to an end, we are left with no other option than to call the programme off.
We recognise the place of the FA as leading partners in the development of football in the state and as such respect their decisions”, he said.
The organisers spokesperson however commended clubs who demonstrated willingness to partner with them including club owners, sponsors, amongst others and apologized for the inconveniences caused and looked forward to better future engagements.
