Clubs to Pay N1m Fine for Missing Matches in President Federation Cup as NFF Sets March 22 Kickoff for State Preliminaries

Clubs participating in the 2026 President Federation Cup have been warned of heavy fines if they fail to honour their fixtures.

The Nigeria Football Federation’s Director of Competitions, Ruth David, announced that any team absent from a national preliminary match will be penalized with a fine of N1 million.

She further explained that the State preliminaries, which mark the beginning of the country’s oldest football competition, will run from 22nd March to 26th April.

Clubs that withdraw or fail to appear after completing registration at the State level will face a fine of N500,000.

The final matches of the State preliminaries are scheduled for either Saturday, 25th April, or Sunday, 26th April.

On these dates, each State Football Association and the FCT must present their two qualifying teams for the national stage of the competition.