The 2023/2024 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Match Day 31 fixture between Kwara United Football Club of Ilorin and Akwa United FC of Uyo will now hold on Sunday.
The match, earlier fixed for 2 p.m on Saturday, will now begin at 4 p.m on Sunday.
The shift was requested by Kwara United to allow them enough time to prepare after a return from Gombe, where they beat Gombe United 2-1 in a Match Day 30 encounter on Tuesday.
According to the club, their team returned to Ilorin by Wednesday midnight and needed time to prepare for their next game.
In approving their request via a letter on Thursday, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the NPFL, Davidson Owumi, however listed conditions which must be met.
“The request for change of date has been approved, but conditionally.
“This is because your request has come outside the stipulated time prescribed in Rule B13.10 of the NPFL Framework and Rules.
”It stipulates that a club may, not less than 72 hours before the time fixed for any match, apply to the NPFL to re-arrange a fixture,” he said.
The NPFL COO stated that the request therefore constituted a breach of its Framework and Rules, and also disrupted the published fixtures.
”Not only that, it caused both financial and logistical inconvenience to the visiting team and other participating stakeholders and partners of the NPFL,” he added.
Kwara United FC have however accepted to take full responsibility for the match as outlined by the NPFL.
The club’s Chairman, Kumbi Titiloye, disclosed this while speaking with journalists after the team’s training on Friday morning.(NAN)
