President of Nigeria Football Federation NFF, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau has challenged the leadership of the Nigeria Professional Football League to join hands with other stakeholders in helping Nigerian clubs make progress in continental competitions, Completesports.com reports.
Speaking while declaring the NPFL General Meeting open in Abuja, on Tuesday, the President of Nigeria Football Federation bemoaned the early exit of the two Nigeria Representatives in the CAF Champions League, Enyimba International and Remo Stars, stressing that it came as a rude shock to Nigerians.
“It pained the NFF and indeed Nigerians how both Enyimba International FC of Aba and Remo Stars of Ikenne crashed out in the first Preliminary Round of the CAF Champions League. The message here is that every one of us: club owners, sponsors, administrators and other stakeholders have a lot to do to return Nigerian clubs to continental glory.
“It’s been 19 years since a Nigerian club last won a continental title through Enyimba International FC in 2004 and it is a matter of worry to know that no Nigerian club has reached the final of any CAF competitions since 2009. We must start getting it right going forward.
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“Let us all put our hands on deck to work assiduously towards addressing this inappropriate situation. Nigeria is a big name in Africa and world football. Nigerian clubs cannot afford to continue to underperform in club championships in Africa, ” the NFF Boss stated.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of NPFL, Honourable Gbenga Elegbeleye assured that the league board will build on the achievement of last season by ensuring that Nigerian football regains its pride of place in Africa.
Gusau said television equipment that will be used to stream live NPFL games in the new season have been deployed in 10 venues across Nigeria.
“So far they have been installed and tested in Lagos, Ibadan, Benin City, Aba, Uyo, Ilorin, Kano, Jos, Katsina and Gombe. We hope to have them at all our match venues going forward.”
By Richard Jideaka, Abuja
1 Comment
Alhajl Gusau , I am shocked that you are shocked at the early exit of Eyimba and Remo stars from CAF Champions league , i want you to remember that you cannot reap where you did not sow. Football matches are not won at the competitions they are won at the developmental levels where sincere football administrators invest in the grassroot development of football, it is at that stage you introduce kids about the age of five to football and by the time they are 10-12 years old they will begin to play like pros. You cannot pick boys from street corners at the age of 15 to 20 years give them jerseys and expect them to go and win competitions. Football and other sports used to be a part of our educational system in Nigeria, it was in our curriculum, who took it out? I don’t know why you are not shocked that there is no grassroot development of sports and football in particular in Nigeria. I begin to wonder everyday at the fact that we have NFF, we also have the federal ministry of sports and it’s dept. of Youth & sports development plus the ministries of sports in every state and local govt counselors incharge of sports and nothing is happening at the development level of our sports and football in particular. If you like invest $10 billion in our league, it will not improve our football, what will happen is that players from other African countries will troop down to Nigeria for the money. The way to go is grassroot development from where we can discover more JJ OKOCHA’S, KANU’S OSIMHEN’S etc