Nigerian Football
Dangers, even before NPFL kicks off
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
It is a week to the kick-off of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL). But there are danger signals.
The NPFL board has ruled that there will be a jackpot of a minimum N100m for the winner.
There will be no take-off grant as it happened last season. The 2022/23 league season is easily adjudged as the best, even by the relegated clubs.
Great thanks to Gbenga Elegbeleye and his team in the now dissolved Interim Management Committee (IMC). They gave the Nigerian lead football league, a renewed hope.
Elegbeleye is back, even in greater capacity. The new season should build on the success of the last one.
Every club should have a cut of the pie. That has been the essence of expanding even flagship competitions such as the FIFA World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations.
It is to ensure that the pot of money is spread, even to lower teams who would not have qualified if the prevailing size of teams were to be maintained.
In the case of the Nigerian domestic football league, the principle of proportional sharing should be activated.
By their callings, the 20 clubs in the NPFL are professionals.
Professionalism implies making money and having good returns. What then is the business sense in embarking on a tortuous venture that is capital and energy intensive but leaves one with ratio 1: 20 of success?
The reasoning behind a N100m jackpot is to give the league a colouration of affluence. It is mainly to prop up the sponsors – real or imagined.
It will therefore not do the league any good. In the NPFL, teams go for three stakes – becoming the champion, falling within the top three bracket to pick continental ticket and lastly, escaping relegation.
This is where the inbuilt damage mechanism lies. ‘Trading’ steps in. Teams struggling for title and top three positions may begin to reach out to middle placed clubs who are without any realistic chance of getting anything.
Since their positions are secured in the league, they may begin to seek avenues of augmenting their expenses.
This is where the dangers in ‘match buying and selling’ come in.
The same applies to the teams swimming in the murky waters of relegation. There is the tendency for them to ‘reach’ out to the clubs in safety zone for assistance.
Apart from the possible financial corruption already enunciated, fans may go violent to ‘safeguard’ the interest of their clubs.
It will therefore serve the NPFL well, if prize money is shared proportionally among the 20 competing teams.
The English Premier League is a model to glean from. All 20 clubs bank at least nine-figures for fulfilling their fixtures as richest league in the world returns with £2.2m on offer for every position.
Let the NPFL therefore have a rethink on the issue of prize money. If other sources of money roll in, as being envisaged, it is better for such to be channelled to the other 19 clubs instead of giving all to the eventual champion.
Lack or shortage of money may sniff out life from some of these clubs if a general principle of getting proportionally from the prize money pie is not applied.
Let’s recall the sad incidents of the 1987 season when suddenly, many privately owned and corporately run football clubs scrapped owing to ‘harvest’ of debts that the prevailing system offered.
Nigerian football has not recovered from that as most clubs in the country are state-run.
The NPFL should look into the issue of prize money for the clubs as it is done in the English Premier League and most other viable leagues of the world.
Estimated 2022/23 Premier League prize money
1 Manchester City £170m
2 Arsenal £167.8m
3 Manchester Unite £165.5m
4 Newcastle United £163.4m
5 Liverpool £161.2m
6 Brighton £159m
7 Aston Villa £156.8m
8 Tottenham Hotspur £154.6m
9 Brentford £152.4m
10 Fulham £150.2m
11 Crystal Palace £148m
12 Chelsea £145.8m
13 Wolves £143.6m
14 West Ham £141.4m
15 Bournemouth £139.2m
16 Nottingham Forest £137m
17 Everton £134.8m
18 Leicester £132.6m
19 Leeds £130.4m
20 Southampton £128.2m
Nigerian Football
Nigerian women coaches conclude first module of CAF C-License course
![](https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/women-coaches.png)
A total of 30 women coaches have concluded the first of a three-module CAF C-License program in the Federal Capital, Abuja and are expected to commence a two-week internship with different teams in a few days.
Peopled largely by former Nigerian internationals and other serving coaches, the group was taken through a full week of rigorous classroom and practical sessions by a team of coach educators and resource persons, in a baptism of what the next two modules are likely to entail,
NFF Technical Director, Coach Augustine Eguavoen, told thenff.com that the first module has shown that the women coaches are actually desirous of learning.
“I am very much impressed with their attitude, mannerisms and conduct through the first module. They impressed everyone, and the coach educators also told me they were impressed, and are looking forward to having them back for the second and concluding modules.
“We are grateful for the leadership of the NFF for the support and encouragement for coach-education programmes all the time.”
The participants will return to Abuja for the second module that is scheduled for 12th – 20th August, after which they will go on another two-week internship, 23rd August – 4th September. The third module, which comes with examinations for the participants, will take place 9th – 19th September.
Dr. Terry Babatunde Eguaoje, NFF’s Head of Education, is among the coach educators’ team, which also includes Coaches Isah Ladan Bosso, Wemimo Olanrewaju and Lanrence Ndaks.
Among the 30 participants are former Super Falcons’ stars Precious Dede, Joy Jegede, Esther Michael, Maureen Eke, Otas Ogbonmwan, Vera Okolo, Cecilia Nku, Taiwo Ajobiewe, Gloria Ofoegbu and Amenze Aighewi. There are also Barr. Victoria Nlemigbo and retired FIFA referee Folusho Ajayi.
Nigerian Football
Osimhen’s outburst was a moment of madness, says Amaju
![](https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/finidi-and-osimhen.png)
Former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President and a FIFA Council member, Amaju Pinnick has expressed shock at last month’s outburst by Super Eagles’ striker, Victor Osimhen against Finidi George.
“It is very unfortunate”, Amaju Pinnick remarked on an Arise Television programme. The former NFF president said he had put a call to Osimhen who was very remorseful while the telephone conversation lasted.
“I told him he has to apologise, and I am sure he will if he has not yet done so.” Amaju remarked that he could not comprehend what went wrong as Osimhen was the most cool-headed player in the national team.
He went on to remark that Finidi George was not a personality to be disregarded like that. He has won virtually every honour available during his playing days and was a member of the Super Eagles at their peak when Nigeria ranked fifth in the world.
“I believe players should learn to respect their coaches”, said the former NFF boss.
Nigerian Football
I prefer a foreign coach for the Super Eagles, says Amaju
![](https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/amaju-pinnick-1.png)
Nigeria’s FIFA Council member, Amaju Pinnick has told the world that he has always been an advocate of foreign coaches for the Super Eagles. He spoke on Arise Television while fielding questions with Reuben Abati, Rufai Oseni and Ayo Mairo-Ese.
His reason for being averse to indigenous coaches stemmed from lack of respect for them by the players.
“Yes, the Nigerian coaches have the requisite knowledge and the technical ability, but modern football is beyond that in managing players.
“Will the national team players respect the coach? The sad thing is that they don’t”, said Amaju Pinnick.
He however revealed that he supported the appointment of Finidi George owing to the circumstances that the NFF found itself after the exit of Jose Peseiro.
The NFF, he revealed, had no money to hire a foreign coach. The body therefore went for the most available option, Finidi to ensure a smooth transition.
“Finidi was part of the coaching crew of Peseiro and it was therefore logical to ask him to continue.
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