By: Eche Amos

The Nasarawa State Football Association has conducted the draw for the 2019/2020 Nasarawa State Bet9ja Premier League Season.

The draw was conducted at the Mini-Hall of Ta’al Conference Hotel, Lafia, today, amidst critical football stakeholders, clubs’ representatives and their fans as well as Sports Journalists(SWAN).

Performing the draw, Chairman of the Competition Organizing Committee and Vice Chairman of Nasarawa State Football Association, Haladu Akwashiki, said a total of Thirty(30) clubs registered to participate in the 2nd edition of the State’s Premier Football League, powered by Bet9ja, an online bookmaker company that offers betting on major sporting events operating in Nigeria.

After the draw, Group A has Black Stars FC(Agbashi),

FC Dunoma FC(Lafia), Eggon Warriors FC (Nasarawa-Eggon), Shooting Stars FC (Lafia), 11 Brothers FC (Agyaragu), FC Ninety(Doma), and Agyaragu Stars(Agyaragu).

Group B has Water Corporation FC(Lafia), Winda Force FC( Nasarawa-Eggon), Golden Boys FC(Lafia), Sharks FC (Lafia), Bright Stars FC (Awe), AYD Feeders FC(Doma), and

Dubagari FC( Lafia ).

In Group C are Jakada FC (Nasarawa), Traffic Challengers FC (Wamba), Gudi Selected (Gudi), Akwanga Selected Fc( Akwanga), Pioneers FC(Wamba), Young Unity FC (Uke), Makama Dogo FC (Nasarawa), Kokona Selected FC (Garaku) and Jihasu FC (Masaka).

While Group D has Shabu United(Shabu), Trackers FC( Lafia), Ogene FC(Doma), Greater Tomorrow FC (Lafia),

Keana Selected FC(Keana), Stallions FC (Nasarawa-Eggon) and Awe Selected FC (Awe).

The opening match will see Water Corporation taking on Winda Force FC on Thursday, 26th September, 2019, at the Lafia City Stadium by 4pm, while other matches will commence a week later.

In his welcome remark, Chairman, Nasarawa State Football Association and Nationwide League One, Mohammed Alkali, said the second edition of the League is for the total empowerment of the youth in the State to build their football career in order to get more lucrative clubs.

Alkali expressed happiness over the partnership agreement with Bet9ja and their prompt response, describing it as a new dawn for grassroots football in the State.

He charged the participating clubs to take advantage of the opportunity to build their franchise.

Abiodun Saleye, representative of Bet9ja in Nasarawa State, said his organisation chose to partner with the Nasarawa State FA due to its grassroots development quest which forms part of its corporate social responsibility to their host community, with in-depth focus on sports and talents development.

“Our aim is for the youth to shun violence and we are doing this through football developmentand harnessing talents. We hope that through this programme, great talents like Okocha, Peter Rufai and Kanu Nwonkwo would be discovered”, he stated.

Coach Abdulrazaq Salmanu Abdulkareem of Jihasu FC, on behalf of the participating clubs’ coaches, thanked the State FA and Bet9ja for initiating the Football League, and promised to be law-abiding and uphold the rules of the game.

The Thirty clubs were given branded Bet9ja kits and balls each.