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Calabar Rovers appoint Tosan Blankson after securing OYC FC’s NNL place
Calabar Rovers have appointed former Delta Queens and Rivers Angels head coach Tosan Blankson as their new head coach after acquiring OYC FC’s Nigeria National League (NNL) slot ahead of the 2026/2027 season.
The Canaan City club were relegated to the Nigeria Nationwide League One (NLO) at the end of the 2025/2026 NNL campaign. However, they swiftly regained their place in the second tier by taking over the slot belonging to Warri-based OYC FC.
OYC FC had earned promotion to the NNL after the conclusion of the 2026 Nationwide League One play-off for the South-South zone.
Blankson, who previously played as a defender for Rangers and Heartland, confirmed his appointment to Completesports.com.
“I’m now with Calabar Rovers,” Blankson, a former Rangers and Heartland defender, told Completesports.com on Wednesday.
“You know I left Rivers Angels before now. So, right now, I’m with Calabar Rovers FC.”
The coach has already taken charge of preparations in Calabar, with the club beginning its recruitment process ahead of the new campaign.
“I’m in Calabar now. We’ve started screening for players as the first stage of our preparation for the new season,” Blankson said on Tuesday.
Blankson’s appointment follows his departure from Rivers Angels, where he left with what was described as “Fond Memories” before moving on to what was described as “Fresh Challenges”.
Calabar Rovers will begin their preparations for the 2026/2027 NNL season with the league scheduled to start on Saturday, 31 October 2026. The opening date was ratified at the competition’s recently held Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Owerri.
The new NNL campaign will feature four conferences, with participating clubs divided into Southern Conference A, Southern Conference B, Northern Conference A and Northern Conference B.
The format is intended to produce a competitive season while giving clubs the opportunity to fight for promotion to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).
At the conclusion of the campaign, the winners of all four conferences will secure automatic promotion to the NPFL.
Calabar Rovers’ return to the NNL comes after their relegation at the end of the previous season and the subsequent acquisition of OYC FC’s place. The club will now look to Blankson, who has experience managing Delta Queens and Rivers Angels, to lead their preparations and challenge in the restructured second-tier competition.
