Nigerian Football
Just how good is the 33-year old Nigerian professional league?
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
The rating of the Nigerian League with the rest of the world, especially on the African continent, will always be a contentious issue.
It is an argument that can never be effectively settled. But one fact is certain: a league’s product defines its quality.
In that wise, the Nigerian league can be evaluated by the results obtained by the league’s champions in Africa’s inter clubs’ competitions as well as the quota it contributes to the national team and continental competitions.
Also, the grip it has on the populace is another factor to evaluate the efficacy of the league in Nigeria.
In terms of popularity, the league, undoubtedly, has waned in importance.
Paradoxically, before the advent of professional football in 1990, the stadiums were often overfilled, especially in crackers involving clubs like the IICC Shooting Stars, Enugu Rangers, Super Stores, Bendel Insurance among others.
Now, the league venues are becoming emptier with every passing season, while the English Premiership and other leagues of Europe continue their stranglehold on the Nigerian populace.
That way, the English Premiership for instance continues to wax stronger with ever increasing television viewing figures around the globe and also massive and foreign investors are falling over themselves to get a piece of the action.
In Europe, the leagues, clubs and players can be choosy in sponsorship and endorsements. Not so with the Nigerian league and the clubs as well as the players whose lifelines depend almost solely on government subventions.
For the three decades of the introduction of professional league to Nigeria, the bulk of national team players were drawn from leagues in Europe.
The trend appears will persist for years to come. Even when an African nations’ football championship was introduced by the Confederation of African Football, (CAF), for players domiciled in the respective African countries, Nigeria’s home-based players could not qualify for the first two editions held in Cote d’Ivoire in 2009 and Sudan in 2011.
The Nigerian side was knocked out in 2009 by Ghana and for the 2011 edition by even a lesser football power, Niger Republic, in the first round of the qualifying series.
In the first 20 years of professional league in Nigeria, the country’s clubsides only won the continent’s premier inter clubs competition, the CAF Champions League twice.
In comparison within the same period, Egyptian clubs won the Champions League eight times.
Overall, in 46 editions of the African premier clubs competition from 1965 to 2010, Egyptian clubs won 12 times, followed by clubs from Cameroon, Congo DR and Morocco with five victories each. Algeria have won four times and are followed by Ghana, Guinea and Tunisia. The Nigerian league produced African champions only twice in 46 years.
In the next level of African clubs competition, the African Winners Cup which ran from 1975 to 2003, Nigeria won three times in 29 editions of the competition.
Products of the Egyptian league on the other hand have won eight times. Tunisian clubs had four victories.
In 12 editions of 12 CAF Cup competition, Tunisian clubs led the pack, winning four times and followed by Algeria with three victories. Nigerian clubs won twice.
The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) is an organisation recognised by FIFA.
It chronicles the history and records of football. Over the years, its ranking of African leagues persistently put the Egyptian league top in Africa.
The Tunisian league often followed, while Nigeria ranked third. The statistics also reflected the results obtained in the CAF Champions League which the North Africans dominate.
In terms of contribution to national team, the Egyptian league again soars above that of Nigeria. For instance, while Egypt’s 23-man squad to the 2010 African Nations Cup had 19 home boys, Nigeria’s entire squad was drawn from abroad.
There were six other players from the Egyptian league in other squads, making a total 25 players from that league.
In contrast, Nigeria’s league only contributed two out of the 368 players of the the 2010 Africa Cup of Cup.
They were Chitou Rachad, a goalkeeper of Wikki Tourists and Akinsola Boussari of Enugu Rangers who was to play for Togo before the country’s eventual withdrawal.
The leagues of other African countries also contributed significantly to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations .
The Tunisian league had 16 products at the tournament; Angolan league had 10 players while Algeria had nine.
It is even worse since the 2013 edition that the late Stephen Keshi had a handful of home-based players in the winning side of the AFCON.
In 2019 and 2021, Nigeria did not have any of its home based players in the squad.
One of the globally acclaimed footballers to have come from Nigeria is Austin Okocha, who is better known as ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha.
He belongs to the acclaimed Golden Generation of the Super Eagles, which dazzled the continent and the world from 1994 to 1996. Okocha was pivotal and a central performer in the squad.
His illustrious career in the squad with which he made 68 appearances started on this day 32 years ago, on 2 May.
He made his first appearance for the Super Eagles in a World Cup qualifying duel with Côte d’Ivoire in Abidjan. Nigeria lost 2-1. Since then, Okocha has had 68 caps.
He remains one of Nigeria’s most iconic footballers as his fame cut across the continent.
At Eintracht Frankfurt, he remains one of the most revered players to have worn the German club’s colours, as the fans still have fond memories of him, even over two decades since his departure.
His skill with the ball was a beauty to behold. Even other accomplished players confessed they were inspired by Okocha’s skills.
From being a midfielder, he rose to become the captain of not just his English Premier League club, Bolton Wanderers, but also of the Super Eagles.
In March 2004, the legendary Brazilian football icon, Pelé, named him among the top 125 living footballers in the world. Significantly, only five players from Africa made the list.
When he moved from Fenerbahçe of Turkey to 1998 French Cup winners, Paris St. Germain, at a record transfer fee of $17 million, the amount eclipsed the two most expensive transfers previously made in French soccer history, when Olympic Marseille paid $12.6 million each for Italian international Fabrizio Ravenelli and former Metz star, Robert Pires.
Okocha’s sign-up was regarded as a bid to rebuild the club to recapture the French League. His languid skill and deceptive pace already made him a favourite among French fans who watched him play four World Cup matches. His creative spark was the most noticeable feature of the erratic Super Eagles at the France ’98 World Cup.
Okocha’s career began at home while playing as a 16-year-old for Enugu Rangers. But a chance encounter whilst on holiday in Germany launched his international career. He tried out for a fourth division club, Borussia Neunkirchen, and they snapped him up.
In 1992, Okocha began his ascent in the German league, joining first division club Eintracht Frankfurt and signing professional terms. It was at Frankfurt that he first began to excite German crowds with his dazzling dribbling skills and drew the attention of European agents.
A £ 1 million move to Turkish outfit Fenerbahce was the result in 1996 and Okocha helped his new side to the league title in his first season, but just two seasons later he was on the move again in a staggering $17million switch to Paris St. Germain, making him the most expensive Nigerian footballer ever.
After seeing out his contract with the French giants, Okocha was available on a free transfer – hence the rumoured £ 3.3 million-a-year wages he was reported to be demanding from Bolton Wanderers. It is testament to Sam Allardyce’s negotiation skills that he was able to convince the midfielder to drop his high demands and join the English Premier League outfit.
At Bolton, he was like a cult hero. “Jay Jay Okocha – so good they named him twice” was a common chant by Bolton fans. This was the attitude of fans towards the gifted Nigerian after the skilful midfielder played the lead role in securing the Trotters’ Barclaycard Premiership status in his debut season at the club. The Nigerian helped Bolton to one of their most successful seasons ever during the 2003/04 campaign. For 131 years, Bolton Wanderers had wandered in the wilderness.
The 2003/04 season was undoubtedly the best season the club ever had. Okocha was part of that historic moment. In the past, it was common to see Bolton Wanderers slipping into relegation almost every other season. Before Okocha arrived at the Reebok Stadium, Bolton Wanderers hardly ever spent three consecutive seasons in the top division.
After a slow start to his Bolton career, Okocha came into his own in the second half of the season, thrilling crowds with his tricks and pleasing Sam Allardyce with his match-winning performances. Bolton’s Player of the Season had many memorable moments throughout the 2002/03 campaign, but his most important contribution was the winning goal against relegation rivals West Ham at the Reebok.
As if to prove his talent, Okocha was honoured with the BBC’s African Player of the Year award for two consecutive seasons. The player who once featured for Nigeria at Mauritius ’93 African Youth Championship moved to SC Qatar at the close of the 2005/06 season.
At the close of the 2006 season, he ranked next to Muda Lawal in the number of international appearances for Nigeria.
The high point of his career was the scoring of the historical 1,000th goal of the African Cup of Nations. This he did at Monastir, Tunisia, when he converted a penalty kick to put the scoreline at 2-0 in a 4-0 defeat of South Africa.
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The Nigeria National League has again wielded the big stick against erring Clubs, with Godswill Akpabio FC of Uyo and Barau FC of Barau FC of Kano severely penalised for assault and intimidation of match officials.
On its part, Uyo-based Godswill Akpabio FC was found guilty of assaulting match officials during their Matchday 15 encounter against Rovers FC of Calabar at the Uyo Township Stadium on 26th April.
The match ended 2-2, but right from the end of first half, the home team’s match officials and fans started to intimidate match officials, and a player, Austin Ajibawo, was cautioned for physical intimidation of the first assistant referee.
Further assaults were committed at the end of the match.
While they have been fined the sum of N3,000,000, which must be paid before their next match, Godswill Akpabio FC must also play their next two home games under strict closed-doors.
They will pay the sum of N250,000 as medical bills to the assaulted match officials, and Ajibawo is suspended for two matches. The Akwa Ibom State FA is also given only seven days to identify the names of assailants or show evidence of disciplinary action taken against them.
Strict closed-doors means only 20 security personnel, seven club officials per team, 12 ball boys, 10 host FA officials, match officials, accredited medical personnel, two accredited cameramen per team, and 10 representatives of the media can attend the match.
On their part, Barau FC committed the infraction during their home game against Gombe United at the Danbatta Township Stadium on 26th April.
From the first half, fans of the home team (which eventually won the match 2-0) started throwing missiles at the technical bench of Gombe United, which caused some injuries and led to the abandonment of the match for 15 minutes.
Barau FC has been fined the sum of N2,000,000, will pay the assaulted Gombe United officials the sum of N150,000 for medical bills and also play their next two home matches under strict closed doors.
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Nigerian Football
Remo Stars’ Historic NPFL Win: A Testament to GTI’s Strategic Effort on Football Development
On Sunday, April 27, 2025, Remo Stars Football Club of Ikenne achieved a historic milestone by clinching their first-ever Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) title in the 2024/2025 season.
After coming up short in the previous two seasons, where they finished as runners-up, this victory was a personal achievement for the club and a significant moment for the NPFL itself.
Remo Stars’ 1-0 win over Niger Tornadoes secured the title with three games to spare, marking a new chapter in Nigerian football.
This victory highlights the substantial impact of strategic partnerships, specifically with GTI Asset Management and Trust Limited, which have been instrumental in the restructuring and repositioning of the NPFL.
Through their partnership with the NPFL Board, GTI has played a key role in improving the league’s competitiveness, officiating integrity, and overall management standards.
The last time a privately-owned club won the NPFL title was in 1996 when Udoji United triumphed.
Since then, privately-owned clubs have struggled to replicate that success, making Remo Stars’ achievement even more noteworthy.
Their victory came as part of GTI’s broader initiatives, including The Nigeria Football Fund (TNFF), which has introduced greater financial transparency and discipline into the league.
This partnership is reshaping the business side of Nigerian football, ensuring that clubs operate more professionally and attract greater investment.
In what can only be seen as a serendipitous moment, Remo Stars’ victory occurred on the same day that the club’s proprietor, Kunle Soname, was celebrating his birthday. What a double celebration it was!
Looking at the broader picture, this victory signals a positive trajectory for the NPFL, with increased investment, improved management, and a heightened focus on player development. The efforts of GTI Group, working alongside the current NPFL Board led by Gbenga Elegbeleye, are setting the stage for the future growth of Nigerian football.
GTI’s commitment to elevating the league is rooted in a vision of creating a more business-oriented, sustainable model for the NPFL.
By addressing the structural challenges that have historically held back Nigerian football, GTI’s efforts are aimed at attracting investments from well-meaning individuals and corporate bodies.
This strategy is not just about enhancing the quality of the league but also about providing financial returns for investors, much like what is seen in top football leagues around the world.
Remo Stars’ victory is not just a triumph for the club, but also a reflection of the broader efforts being made to improve the NPFL.
With the strategic support from GTI, Nigerian football is on a path towards greater success. The hope is that the league will continue to grow, producing more success stories like Remo Stars and eventually earning its place among the most glamorous leagues in the world.
In conclusion, Remo Stars’ historic win is a symbol of the power of strategic investment and visionary leadership. It underscores the potential of the NPFL to rise to new heights, benefiting both the clubs and the passionate fans who follow them.
With continued efforts from GTI and others committed to football development in Nigeria, the future looks bright for the NPFL.
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