The Chief Operating Officer of the Nationwide League One (NLO), Olushola Ogunowo, on Monday in Abuja said division three of the league’s 2017/2018 season would begin on Thursday.

It would be recalled that the league was earlier scheduled to begin on Sept. 17, but was postponed.

“About 80 clubs have registered for the division three league this season, we appeal on players, coaches and clubs owners to be serious with their games. Our advice to the players is that they should play by the rules and obey the laws of the game because football is been guided by specific rules. You can win a match today and lose tomorrow, it’s not necessary that you must win at all times, your best may not be good enough to defeat your opponent,’’ he said.

Ogunowo noted that club owners contribute mostly to quarrel on football pitches.

“Any crisis in any league start with the club owners, when it comes to manipulation of matches it’s still the same club owners. Let’s play by the rules let everybody be clean,’’ he said.

He however disclosed that the division two of the league would commence on Oct. 18 and end on Oct. 25 at all zonal centers.

In the division one, he said, that seven teams (36 Lions FC of Lagos, Green Beret FC of Ibadan, Lamray United FC of Enugu and Ibom Youth FC of Akwa-Ibom, Bida Lions FC of Niger, Kwakwansiya FC of Kano and FC Yarma Light of Gombe) were promoted to Nigeria National League (NNL) while seven teams were also relegated to Division two: MFM Feeders FC of Lagos, PSI International FC of Oyo and Abia Warriors Feeders FC of Abia, George Turnah FC of Bayelsa, Bitiyong FC of Kaduna, Soccer Strikers FC of Kano and Baretta FC.

(NAN)