GFF Strategic Vision To Transform the National League

As the national football league draws to a close with only three match days to go, the GFF is referring to its strategic vision which aims to transform the national league to a competitive level and to increase its player pool.

The strategic vision that was presented to club managers and stakeholders at a pre Season meeting held at the Friendship Hostel in Bakau and was hailed as a very good blue print as envisaged by the football leadership.

The strategic vision of the federation is to transform the national league into a competitive and quality status, increase the playing time of the players, to produce more quality players and to enable the clubs to be more competitive at continental competitions.

The 2016/17 national league Division One and Two is taking up a new dimension as promotion and relegation is such that first is to qualify to the premier league while the second, third and forth and fifth will go for a playoff. The summary here in:

THE GFF STRATEGIC VISION TO TRANSFORM THE NATIONAL LEAGUE

  1. To increase the quality and competitiveness of the leagues;
  2. To increase the playing time of the players;
  3. To produce more quality players;
  4. To enable the clubs to be more competitive in continental competitions.

2016/17 National League

1st Division     No Changes

2nd Division    Promotion
1st Position qualifies automatically to 1st Division
Play Offs for 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Position: Winner qualify for 2nd spot to 1st Division

Format:          2nd vs 5th and 3rd vs 4th

Relegation:     3 teams to be relegated – 12th, 13th and 14th

3rd Division
The 3 champions from the 3rd Division leagues from Banjul, KM and West Coast qualifies to the 2nd Division automatically.

FF Cup: Semi Finals to be played on home and away basis

2017/18 National Leagues

1st Division: To be increased to 14 teams for 2018/2019

Relegation: 11th and 12th position teams to compete in play-offs against 3rd and 4th of the 2nd Division

2nd Division: To be increased to 16 teams for 2018/2019

Promotion: 1st and 2nd qualifies automatically to 1st Division

3rd and 4th position teams to compete in a play offs against 11th and 12th of the 1st Division

Format:      11th     vs        4th
3rd        vs        12th

Home and Away basis

Winners secure a place in 1st Division for 2018/2019

Relegation: 14th position to compete in a play offs against the 2nd place teams in the 3rd division leagues of Banjul, KM and West Coast Region

3rd Division: Champions of the 3rd Division Leagues in Banjul, KM and West Coast Region qualifies automatically to the 2nd Division

The 2nd place teams in the 3rd division leagues of Banjul, KM and West Coast Region compete in play offs against the 14th position team in the 2nd Division

FF Cup: 3rd division teams from Banjul, KM and West Coast to compete in the preliminaries

2018/19 National League

1st Division 14 teams

Relegation:  13th and 14th to be relegated

2nd Division

Promotion:  1st Position promoted

Play offs for 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th position

Format: 2nd vs 5th, 3rd vs 4th

Winners qualify

Relegation 2 teams: 15th and 16th position teams

3rd Division
7 Regional Champions: Banjul, KM, West Coast, LRR, CRR, URR and NBR and the 14th position team in the 2nd Division

Format
Two groups: Winners qualify and 2nd place play-offs

FF Cup: All 3rd Division teams from the 7 Regions to compete in the preliminaries

2019/20 National League

1st Division: To be increased to 16 teams for 2020/21 season

Relegation: 13th and 14th position to compete in a play offs against 3rd and 4th of the 2nd Division

Format: 13th vs 4th and 3rd vs 14th

Home and away basis and winner promoted

2nd Division: To be increased to 18 teams for 2020/21 season

Promotion: 1st and 2nd qualifies

3rd and 4th compete in a play offs against 13th and 14th of the 1st Division

Relegation: 15th and 16th position relegated and 14th position to go to the 3rd division play offs

3rd Division: 7 Regional Champions: Banjul, KM, West Coast, LRR, CRR, URR and NBR and the 14th position team in the 2nd Division

Format
Two groups: Winners and Runner-ups qualify