Foreign jerseys outlawed for Nigerian league players

The management of the Nigerian Nationwide League One (NLO) has frowned at clubs whose players wears foreign clubs’ Jerseys to snap passport photograph at the on – going registration for the 2016/17 season.

Speaking to the sporting media in Abuja on Monday,  Shola  Ogunnowo, the scribe of the league disclosed that it is very downgrading for the Nationwide League when clubs in the league allows their players to wear foreign jerseys  of some clubs while snapping passport photograph for registration for the league season, revealing further that some players even wear traditional attires like agbada and babaringa to snap passport photograph, which does not really depict the league well in line with football branding.

“We have written to all the clubs in the Nationwide League that their players must wear their club’s jerseys, be it the one for home or away to snap passport photograph. The Nationwide League will not accept any registration forms that the players of the club puts on Chelsea , Manchester United or Real Madrid jerseys in the passport photograph submitted for registration” Ogunnowo declared.

He added: “Imagine some players wearing agbada or is it babaringa to snap passport photograph for registration. Some coaches on the technical bench are also guilty of this. You will see a coach wearing babaringa or even wearing Manchester United jersey in a Nationwide League game when he is not Jose Mourinho of Man U. So, we have written to all the clubs and I am glad to inform that the registration forms we have received so far from some clubs are in compliance with the directive from the League body.”

Ogunnowo also informed that the Nationwide League is set to sanction any club that flouts this order with a heavy fine, as he noted that clubs must adhere strictly to rules governing the league and efforts have been put in place to ensure that the league is well packaged and branded to attract more fans and sponsorship ahead of the 2016/17 season.

“We will not hesitate to sanction any club that flouts this directive. Heavy fine awaits any club that goes contrary to these rules. Things must be done properly, as we desire more fans to throng our league games to attract sponsorship of the League,” he concluded.