Enyimba, Remo Stars open Naija Super 8 tournament in Lagos

Reigning Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) champions Enyimba and Remo Stars will open hostilities in the inaugural edition of the Naija Super 8 football competition which will kick-off today at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, Lagos.

The pre-season competition being organised by Flykite Production is a 10-day tournament featuring six clubs representing each of the six-geo political zones and two wild cards that have been selected to bring the total number to eight.

At the end of the Championship playoff which was held at the Eket Township Stadium in Akwa Ibom, Lobi Stars, Rivers United, Enyimba, Remo Stars, Katsina United, Yobe Desert Stars qualified for the Super 8 competition and will be joined by Akwa United and newly promoted Sporting Club of Lagos.

The eight clubs have been drawn in two groups of four teams each. Group A consists of Enyimba, Sporting Lagos, Remo Stars and Katsina United while Group B has Akwa United, Lobi Stars, Yobe Desert Stars and Rivers United.

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After today’s opening between Enyimba and Remo Stars, MatchDay 2 fixtures will continue tomorrow with the mouth-watering tie between Akwa United and NNL side Yobe Desert Stars in Group B at 2pm while former NPFL champions Akwa United and Lobi Stars square up at 4.30pm.

North-West representatives and newly promoted side, Katsina United who eliminated regional rivals Kano Pillars in the Championship playoff will take to the field for their first match in the tournament on Sunday, July 9 when they take on Remo Stars in the morning while former African champions Enyimba faceoff with Sporting of Lagos at 4.30pm.

July 10 will witness the clash of stars as Lobi Starswho eliminated City FC of Abuja tackle Yobe Stars conquerors of Gombe United in the morning while the South-South derby between Rivers United and Akwa United holds at 4.30pm.

The fixture between newly promoted clubs Katsina United and Sporting FC of Lagos on July 13 will draw the curtains on the group matches.

Organisers have said each club at the tournament will earn N3 million per match at the group stage. Semi-finalists will earn an additional N3 million, the runners-up will earn N9 million, while the winners will go home with N25 million.