A new professional Football league to rival NPFL is set to debut in the country, Complete Sports has exclusively gathered.
Baring any last minute hitch, the league will be unveiled in Abuja, on Saturday with a press conference to announce the birth of the first privately owned professional football clubs league in the country.
Complete Sports checks reveal that a maximum of 10 clubs will pioneer the league which is said to have tacitly received the backing of the Youth and Sports Development Minister, Sunday Dare.
If and when eventually started, the League has as N20m star prize for the winner.
Findings revealed that a Chief Executive Officer, CEO, (names withheld) has already been slated for the league with a pool of private football heavyweights in the country said to be involved in the venture.
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The league has equally been registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, Abuja.
Already, those who have been working from behind the scene since late last year to midwife the venture are understood to have sealed a TV sponsorship deal which will ensure that the matches are beamed live on the tubes to the sitting homes of the football loving World.
“They have also pulled a N400m take off grant”, an insider hinted Orient Sports on condition of anonymity. “When we start, clubs will get their due share of the funds and the league will be a reference point to others,” he added.
It was also learnt that even though all the participating clubs will be affiliated to the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, just as the matches will also be officiated by the NFF accredited referees.
Ironically, winners of the league will have no stake in flying Nigeria’s flag in the CAF inter club competitions. That (Nigerian representation in CAF inter club competitions) is for the winners of the NPFL and the domestic cup.
One of the major requirements for participation in the Private Clubs League, Complete Sports was told, was that all the clubs must own a private stadium.
But their is suggestion that clubs who don’t have private pitches for now should be given time, like, say, five years, to own their stadium.
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COMMENTS
OMG. Butterflies buzzing, honey , milk flowing , salivating to sweet smell of this wonderful news. God just let it be true n make it work. This is what we should be praying n working towards n not homebase players being invited here, there or wherever. We have got population, we have got good weather, we are a rich country both in cash, human, n material resources etc. This if well managed will bring about total n radical changes to Nigeria football both within n without. Everyone is gonna benefit. We may likely see some of our foreign born talents struggling to get clubs take them on after many years in academy come home for further development. Please O God just let this work
I pray this happens. At least we can discover home talents from here cuz we get to watch them on TV and the players welfare are well taken care of. This will also serve as a HUGE slam on Amaju, Seyi and Shehu Dikko’s NPFL. Bunch of thieves
_ Is a Parallel League the solution? _
There are upsides and downsides to almost every initiative under the sun.
What the news in this article is telling me is one thing and one thing only: quite a sizeable number of club owners do not like the way the Local Management Committee is managing the Nigeria Professional Football League presently.
And why should they?
Any season can be called off any reason due to internal wranglings (indeed the league was inactive for better part of last season which had the knock on effect of adversely affecting the performances of homebased Super Eagles players in CHAN and Wafu qualifiers). In fact, the general consensus among most fans is that the league is too poor produce players for the main Super Eagles team.
Matches aren’t shown on free to air television whilst the league scarcely attracts decent players from the continent. The pitches are poor and deplorable whilst ‘away victories’ are very rare due to dubious refereeing decisions.
I believe some forward thinking investors have seen opportunities but rather than working with the LMC to fix the NPFL, they have decided to launch a parallel league.
Top on the agenda is showing league matches on television which itself will have the instant benefit of allowing fans see the quality of players still present in the shores of Nigeria.
However, as much as I would like to wish the brains behind this initiative good success, I would still have advocated for them to work with the NPFL in order to revamp the present league.
Either way, any move to improve the marketability of indigenous Nigerian football is always welcome by me.
So, I wait patiently to see what comes out of this.
They do not have to work with visionless, corrupt and self centered people whose only aim are to steal and embezzle funds meant for the running of the sports in the country, scam the federal, state governments and football loving Nigerians into donating funds to NFF only for them to use the money to acquire properties in England and Dubai leaving the NFF and LMC in a sorry state and making a mockery of the game they were entrusted to improve.
Collaborating with NFF and LMC is not something any football loving Nigerian should be suggesting at this point in time, we should encourage them to set a good example that will put a big smile on our sad faces which will expose the gross incompetence of the people that have been running the affairs of our football, just maybe that might force them to change their act.
With the sort of sums that we are talking about, the hope is that the organisers of this new league initiative will manage the enterprise in a way devoid of financial malpractice.
Mal-administration and mismanagement that have crippled the LMC and and NFF need to be addressed if the promise if our domestic football is to make any progress.
We need to look hard at the integrity of the people tasked with managing our football and the infrastructures, processes, checks and balances in place to help curb bad practices for if things continue this way, we will always get these results.
The organisers of the new parallel league may be on to something big. In the coming months, those whom they are able to carry along and those sceptical of the idea will see what becomes of it.
Good luck to them.
Super league cup . It is . Winner will then represent the country in African league competition. Would be better
Olu, if I am reading your contribution right, are you advocating for this parallel league to run like a cup competition so thar the winner represents Nigeria in a CAF continental competition?
If so, it does not sound like such a bad idea to me.
One of the drawbacks of this new proposed league is that – according to the article above – the winner will not qualify for any CAF continent competition.
I don’t think that will be fair on players who have toiled long and hard to win that league.
Just my (harmless) view.
@deo
Thoughtful of you.
But I think it is all about the money.
What’s the point of playing in a league where you basically get nothing in terms of finanaces and what has playing in the continent really brought to most clubs in the NPFL. Nothing much.
You should note that the league have supposedly gotten a 400million naira grant and when they start,the clubs would be given their due share.
That’s saying 10 clubs getting some start up dues plus a 20million Naira cash winning prize. Compared to other well league,the largesse is small but in comparison to what the NPFL is currently providing, that’s a very good deal.
Not forgetting the TV deal and the free attention and advertisements it brings to these clubs and the players; a far cry from what the NPFL is providing right now.
I presume that the private league is taking a hint from the English Premier league and how it started in 92,breaking away from the less financial productive football league.
They are willing to forgo the continent ,atleast for the time been; putting all their cards in the finance and tv deal.
I assure you,the rivalry should make the NPFL sit up and reform or in the long run,they would be facing a total demotion like the English football league did to the English Premier league; losing their status as the number one league in the land; with the English Premier league taken the continental berth whilst the English football league became the secondary leagues to the former.
Most private clubs playing in the NPFL could easily jump ship to the new private league if they see it suits their interest better (which could very much be the case baring in mind as the NPFL is currently run).
I think this is a positive. We just wait and see if the rumour is true and if so, we see how it goes in reality..
Really valuable input. Thanks Mr Hush.
@Deo
Much respect
I doubt if such league will take place (even though they are saying baring last minute hitch). Of course they are not affiliated with CAF and so why will they be allowed to participate in CAF tournaments.
What the government need to do is hands-off from sponsoring/running football clubs completely in Nigeria (both states and federal), instead they should concentrate on developing infrastructures (to world standard), go back to school sports (headteachers cup, principals cup and tertiary institution sports).
Let Rangers, 3sc, rivers, kano pillars, bendel insurance, Enyimba etc are big enough with large fan base, so they can go private.
The fed govt should simply instruct state govt from running these clubs and all those corrupt nff/state nff buffons will disappear (once no more state salaries, grants, estacodes etc)
@Kim
I know it is still rumours right now.
But such league could take place.
For One it is a private entity and as such could operate off the directives of CAF.
They just need to be an affiliate with the NFF based on fact that the FA is in charge of football affairs in the country.
Many private entities run their own leagues and their own way; there is the higher institution football league ( run by a private franchise pace sports and entertainment in partnership with NUGA); the Metro pro league basically run as private franchise in Lagos for lagos based football clubs etc.
Besides, it is right way to go for government to hands off running football fully but that isn’t really the problem.
There are government (or government agencies owned) owned clubs in different countries that are well managed. Zenit St. Petersburg is owned by Gazprom ( owned by the Russina government).
CSKA Moscow is owned by Russian ministry of Defence.
Even the much hailed PSG is owned by the Qatar investment group owned by the Qatari State. Etc.
So government can own club, the key is management.
We all know the problem of Nigeria is corruption and mismanagement and that tells in every facet of the society, football included.
Till the league is well managed. And clubs are well managed to the standard required;it would still be the same rodeo.
Expertly said,@broda man Hush. This move is a start off point of a total evolution of Nigeria’s version of the English premiership. It seems the project is an express template of the premiership. I honestly buzzing, it’s about time Nigeria got its fare share of proper football biz world. Media men will benefit, agents will, fans will, hospitality biz will, sports shop will, street traders will, homebased players will no longer wanna run to obscure foreign leagues. The benefits are too numerous to mention.
@ Mr Hush, Its good that the higher institutions have private franchise (way to go). I quiet understand what you said about the pro league in Lagos, however, if they are not affiliated with nff through the state FA it will be impossible for them to participate in caf/fifa competitions. The question remains if the state FA’s or nff will allow affiliation with them and which criteria will they put forward.
As per the Russian federation, CSKA, DINAMO, SPARTAK etc are run privately with no government funding after the collapse of soviet union. The Russian govt do not finance these clubs from state budgets anymore unlike in Nigeria were the states are still financing players and administrators salaries (the state FAs are govt funded and practically no accountability).
The Qatari are operating (technically) as a private investor in a different country (France).
In Nigeria, until the clubs, FAs, NFF are self funded (with no govt salaries, grants) the corruption and mismanagement will still continue.
In the 70s and 80s clubs like Rangers, IICC, Bendel etc were managed by the their state sports councils while players were employees of state sport council under salary scale (don’t know if that is what it is today), while some are owned by various govt parastatals like Water Ibadan, P&T Vasco, P&T satellite Ilorin etc with players registered as employees of these parastatals.
Then all the clubs operated under amateur league division, but once they reorganised and changed to pro league, the govt need to hands off and sell the clubs to private investors.
@Kim
Though you are right about CSKA,they have been sold by the government to a private entity.
But Zenith is still been run by Gazprom,a government agency ( more like our NNPC).
And the Qatari investment group is a trust for the state of Qatar, so still government owned.
I never mentioned Dinamo, Or Spartak.
And about affiliations; this privately owned league don’t want to be admitted to CAF. They just want to play football. It is more like a private party.atleast for now.
The only reason they need the NFF blessing is because the FA controls football in the land.
And I do agree with you that the government should stay clear of football but it is still possible for governments to run clubs, it is basically all about management,hence the examples I gave you about government run clubs. They are a lot world wide. Everything is about management. The Nigerian system is one that is basically a stereotype for corruption and mismanagement. That’s the problem(government or no government); don’t forget the NPFL is basically run by the LMC a supposedly private entity but you can see how it is been mismanaged. It is basically the Nigerian system. We just need the right people at the helm of affairs.people who really have the will and means to get things done.
@ Mr Hush there is a difference between how Gazprom and NNPC are managed, NNPC is a state-owned enterprise while the Gazprom is joint stock company more of a public enterprise (PLC). I only used Dinamo and Spartak to show more examples of how football have changed in Russia after the collapse of Soviet union.
On Qatari investment group, as i have mentioned earlier, they are technically on paper, a private investor in France, hence owing PSG will not be a problem, the same with the Saudis who want to take over Newcastle united.
I do agree with you that those pro leagues just want to play football and have fun, but we need to understand that the owners cannot just continue to spend money on salaries, equipment, logistics, administrators without any financial gain or money coming in. The owners will run bankrupt and the clubs will collapse after a while unless players are playing for free and no financial incentive whats so ever (includes free admins).
Remember the days of Ayuffsalam rocks (sp), Abiola babes, Leventis united, Iwuanyanwu Nationale, these clubs were privately owned but you and I know what happened after few years.
On LMC, if you look at the profile of its executives, you will see that majority of them (if not all) came through govt/political appointments or govt controlled clubs from their various states. And as you have mentioned LMC is been mismanaged.
Kindly read this Samm Audu article (I hope it will take effect soon)
https://scorenigeria.com.ng/exclusive-oronsaye-report-recommends-fg-stops-funding-nff/
its been nice having this discussion with you, hope we will soon get a fully functional private clubs running a pro league in Nigeria.
@ Kim
Absolutely right..
Thanks for the link.
I think the submission of the report should be followed. But I doubt if the FA administrators would be willing enough to go that route.
And that’s why I am hoping for this private league should come on board …
Thanks bro @Glory
I am overly excited by this news.
I really wish it is true.and all logistics are set out professionally.
My wish is that we have a league that can atleast be well managed and have the consistency to keep maintaining such quality standard.
They can take a hint from the privately run Indian Super league that operates totally different from the Fa run I- league. And such competition have brought about strong growth of football in India, a country that tends to swing towards cricket.
So if this happen, it can only bring about positive change.
This is a great news and I’m in support of this new development.
As time goes on, they need to build their own stadiums. Most of the NPFL stadiums needs to be upgraded.
The organizers of this new development should make the atmosphere of the sporting areas look like those in abroad.
I am so sure that people will come and watch NPFL matches because we love fancy stuffs in Nigeria.
Private owned properties are the best because the owners will manage their stadiums and their teams properly.
Shoprite for example, we can proudly say we have a modern market in Nigeria that both the citizens and foreigners can shop easily with peace of mind.
Football is one of those things that needed to be upgraded Nigeria.
By doing this, our national team coaches or NFF doesn’t have to be begging any foreign based players to represent our Country.
I hope this is not one of the hearsay news. If not, I’m really happy for our local players and the NPL teams. New era has come to the NPFL in Nigeria.
If they can achieve this, I’m pretty sure that power supply in Nigeria will be the next agenda. Good job to you Mr. Dare.
Gradually by gradually, Nigeria will rise up again. God bless Nigeria!!!
This Omo9ja sef! Can’t you read and understand first before commenting. This has nothing to do with upgrading the NPFL. They(Private Club owners) want to start there own league and innovate or make their privately owned stadiums better not the NPFL Stadiums…shey u getti!
Awesome breakdown, Sir. Deo. In addition to your aforementioned points, taking a cursory look at the names of the football clubs mentioned for the proposed league, they have something in common: grassroots football centered around young players.
There is no gainsaying that real young players can only be found in academies and secondary schools all over the country. What we have in the NPFL are young-at-heart Papas who have failed to develop due to no fault of theirs and are seemingly unattractive to foreign clubs. Now, if this league sees the light of the day, the youngsters paraded by these clubs will have a level playing ground for them to compete. Furthermore, TV coverage will usher in a vista of opportunities for all stakeholders to benefit from. Agents will find it easier to identify and monitor outstanding players for overseas transfer; club owners will rake in huge returns from players’ sales; national selectors for all age grade teams will have a good breeding site to pick truly young players and fans get treated to good technical football unlike the kick-and-rush NPFL style.
Can you imagine each of these clubs selling at least 3 players every season to European clubs at minimum of $50,000 per player? Isn’t it glaring that this is a goldmine and a veritable source of foreign exchange for our dwindling economy? Can you imagine the number of jobs that will be created directly or indirectly from this venture?
Before you blink an eye, multinational corporations will join forces with the organizers of the proposed league for partnership. These companies are eager to invest in sports. All they demand are stability,transparency and accountability which are unfortunately lacking in the NPFL. By the time all these materialize, the NFF and LMC will have no choice than to put their house in order before they fade into oblivion.
Fantastic addition Dapsy. It is always refreshing to read well throughout contributions broken into digestible paragraphs.
Thanks once again.
_ Reflection pt 1 _
@Kim, I actually see where you are coming from in your line of reasoning because – yes – before getting too carried away about this new initiative, it is a very good idea to see its detailed ‘blueprint’ before we can be sure of 4 things : 1) it’s ability to initially take off, 2) the practicality of the endeavour, 3) it’s long term viability and 3) it’s durability.
On paper, it is a fabulous idea however you touch on some vital points which put it’s actual initial practicality in question. Of course, as more information becomes available to the wider public, answers to these questions would become clearer.
In the coming months, the practicalities and durability of this initiative will be put to the ultimate test. The Nigerian factor will kick in as different stakeholder groups with disparate interests will slug it out.
Look at the case of the Indian Super League (ISL). It started as a private enterprise – separate from the established Indian League (I-League). In the cause of its evolution, it faced major problems and fought major battles with the established and disgruntled I-League for its continued existence, survival and relevance.
It could not participate in continental competitions; it could only run for very few months initially; it wanted to replace the I-League is the Premier League in India (which it has thus far failed to do) ; it wanted to run its league concurrently with the I-League ; and it battled hard to keep investors on side.
Happily, it is a success story today having overcome most of its obstacles (however, it has failed to relegate the I-League to division 2 so they function side by side).
To be continued….
_ Reflection (pt2) _
So, this new NPIFL (Nigeria Private Investors Football League – as it is going to be known) can be a huge success. However, one thing that worries me in the Nigerian context is how our approach to ‘conflict resolution’.
If the clubs that have come together to form this new league can have a cast iron memorandum of understanding that addresses how they will approach issues that will emerge (rather than calling one another enemy of progress and then breaking off), then there is hope.
Also, they have the huge machinery of the League Management Committee (LMC) and some powerful stakeholders in the NFF to contend with – many of whom may not be happy about their existence.
Apart from how poorly the league is being managed overral, it will appear that owners of the few private clubs are particularly unhappy about how they believe they are being badly treated leading to this break from the LMC.
One of the organisers of this NPIFL, Eken Adams (the proprietor of Kaduna based Kada City Football Club) said: “We are not happy with the way the private club owners are been treated like an outcast.
We sat down to seek the way forward for Nigerian football because there is nothing to write home about in the league. We then decided to invest in our own private league which will commence soon,” he said.
The independent league is expected to feature the likes of Remo Stars, Go Round FC and Dynamite Force of Benin.
Comparing the evolution of this Nigerian private league with the English Premer League does not take account of the domestic context of both situations (in my humble opinion).
For one, all of the the clubs in the then Division One League in England (all already privately owned with mature and highly developed and transparent ways of doing business) voted to join create the new English Premer League that we know today which was instantly affiliated with Uefa and FIFA.
None of all the sort of cantankerous, corruption-driven baseless feuds that we see (and expect to continually see) between the NFF, LMC and the new NPIFL existed in the English context.
The English have the interest of the development of their Football at heart (which we all see today), I wonder the real interest of some of the people who run our football!
So, in a nutshell, I welcome this development. But we have a long way to go for it to be a success. Key to this will be the Nigerian factor and how united the organisers of this league are now, and how united they will continue to be way into the future.
How they co-exist with the LMC and the NPFL will also be an interesting soap opera months to come – one sure to make many headlines.
Watch this space!!!
@Deo Thanks for using the Indian ISL and I-league as an example. I do agree with you on what you mentioned. from my point of view the financial incentives coming from the govt (fed and state) to NFF and state FAs will not allow LMC to back-down easily unless the govt stop financing clubs and NFF completely.
Once the state and fed govts stop funding, majority of the so called Nigerian football administrators will run away looking for something else to do.(as you know they are currently on state or federal civil service payroll).
EPL is probably the number one brand in football world wide and just as you mentioned, we still very far behind in Nigeria.
I hope NPIFL will take effect soon, I read an article written by Samm Audu (below is link)
https://scorenigeria.com.ng/exclusive-oronsaye-report-recommends-fg-stops-funding-nff/
As good as this news sounds, I believe the best to let’s the league go private. Instead of running a parallel league that might leads to confusion in future, the best bet is to hand over NPFL to an experienced private professional to run it, with Government and NFF having about 20% stake and the public 30% stake. This way we will have a well developed and structured league system
Exactly my thoughts bro. Thank you.
Ola, when I read your brief but bountiful contribution to this matter, it brought a smile to my face because it reminded exactly of what the Chairman of the Bauch State Football Association (former Super Eagles midfielder) Patrick Pascal said on his suggestions on the way forward for the beleaguered Nigeria Professional Football League.
Just like you, the Afcon Bronze medallist is of the view that overwhelming private involvement in the NPFL will dramatically improve the standard of the league and help in preventing more of our promising talents leaving the shores of Nigeria only to go waste in obscure leagues (incidentally, this is one of the factors cited by Gernot Rohr for reasons he feels perplexed to invite homebased players to the national team).
Speaking to a local newspaper, Patrick Pascal said : “For me the structure and set up of our league needs to change. The private sector and companies need to come in and run the clubs more professionally and make a profit.”
He said further: “Today most clubs owned by state governments are being run like a charity organisation, we cannot continue like this.
We need to make sure our best players in the league are not travelling abroad after every season due to poor remuneration.”
So yes, in line with your contribution and the sentiments of Patrick Pascal, I think the League Management Committee itself should be a largely private-led enterprise with minimal public involvement.
That way, the NPFL itself can be a marketable and an attractive product.
Soccer loving Nigerians deserve much better than the NPFL is currently providing. The talents are there, what we need is the right structure to make the league marketable, profitable, exciting and rewarding (to all concerned).
God bless you Deo, it’s not a rocket science. There is a lot of money in football, if properly and well run. English Premiership alone gross more money than the entirely GDP of West Africa, excluding Nigeria because it was devoid of Government management. If you could remember, in the 90s,it was Belgium and Dutch leagues that hold sway in the world until the English and Italian restructured their league system, we all can see the results today. Government agencies can’t be accountable no matter how much we tried, the best bet is for the government to hands off and allow corporate entities with proven records and resources to take over. Happy Sunday bro
Apologies for another mistake of mine: Patrick Pascal never won Afcon bronze medal with Nigeria.
Perhaps that happened in my dream. 🙂
@ deo
I am really impressed by your objectivity.
But I think the “C” in LMC stands for Company rather than committee.
I think the LMC(League management Company), who manages the NPFL, since been incorporated in 2012 has been basically run as a private entity free off the FA.
But the issue is the incompetence of
Dikko led management team of the LMC. They really don’t have the will to run the league standardly.
The private investors have to trust the LMC before they put in their money into the league. They don’t want to throw in money to a corrupt board that might just mismanaged this hard earned funds.
Furthermore, the league have to be attractive enough to get sponsors. Brand put their name and money to something they can advertise on and gain recognition from. These private companies know the fans don’t watch the league, so who are they advertising to.
Besides,the LMC have to be strict about its rules as regards membership . There have to be a standard met before clubs can participate in a league. If such standard isn’t met and maintained such clubs shouldn’t be allowed into the league or in case of any already in the league breaking such standard, they should be consequence (kicked out or fined) and such should be strictly adhered to no matter what.
Aside from the LMC, I believe it is up to the individual clubs to get their acts in order or close shop. They should understand that a football club is not just an entertainment or charity organisation but a business entity and should be run as such. If they don’t have a marketing department, they should set one up promptly. They should go out there and sell their product (the club), seek sponsorship and investment from private entities. It is in their interest they act on such. Everything shouldn’t be left on the steps of the LMC or government alone.
Conclusively, I think the problem with the Nigerian league system is down to poor management.
@Hush, you are absolutely right about LMC, but LMC is only well designed on paper in reality its zero. It’s still heavily rely on NFF and government for funding. What we are saying is we want an entirely private entity to manage the league, secure sponsorship, go on TV and get us running.
1: All the 20 clubs must have a stadium, with atleast 10,000 capacity.
2: All the stadia must be renovated, not necessarily build a new one due to the resources involved. The area of concentration are the playing turfs, the sitting area, tickecting, TV coverage, roads leading to stadium, efficient transportation system, hotels, hospitals and bukateria around the complex. All this will be a source of revenue to the club.
3: If any of the club is not able to do this, the private company overseeing the league should got it done on their behalf, and deduct the money from the club spread across a period of 20years.
4: All clubs must have a functional academies, educational scholarships for u13 to u17 cadres, so that the kids can combine education with their talents.
5: All clubs must have a dedicated TV stations, and functional websites where first hand information can be ditched out, highlight watched and sometimes live matches. It does not have to be on cable channels, but can be accessible through the internet which is another means of revenue.
6: Tickecting should be available online, including sit booking, cab or bus tickets, refreshments or dining from the on site restaurant. For clubs participating in CAF competitions, they should provide platform to enable their fans purchase tickets, hotel bookings, visa assistance, transportation etc for willing traveling fans. It’s a practice all over the world, certain amount of tickets is reserved for the awag team for their fans. U don’t expect me to be going about visa n traveling hassle simply because I want to go n support my team in Egypt or South Africa.
There so many to be done, but I don’t want to bore the people with long epistle
@ Ola
Off course, I totally agree with you.
Hence my excitement of hearing this supposedly rumour of a private league been set up.
I do want a private league totally off the hands of the NFF and his subsidiary the LMC. Something in the likes of the English Premiership.
The points you rendered are totally spot on,I couldn’t have said it better.
I was just stating in light that can’t be done, the LMC could be reconstituted to be fully privately owned.
That said, the clubs need to get up their asses and get their management in order or nothing would come to fruition. Nobody can manage your club for you. If you want to own a club , make it professional and run it as such..
But your points are well taken.
@Hush, if we leave the club to decide it will still be business as usual, back to square one. The only thing I think can be done to change the situation is by setting up a certain criteria and conditions the clubs must meet before they are allowed to participate. This way it will be the management company indirectly professionally restructuring the set up of the clubs.. I appreciate your creative discussion
@Ola
You are right.
But I already stated in my earlier write up how the LMC could standardise the league and set up criteria to be met by these clubs before they would be allowed in ,(more like the list you provided). Even if it is only 10 clubs that meets up to that high standard , it is good we start with those. As long as the management is consistently highly maintained, the numbers of club don’t matter.
In terms of the club getting their acts together,I am just saying, football clubs should be managed like a business entity and don’t have to wait for the LMC before they get their act right.
They could as well go out and market their own product.
But I totally agree with all you have been saying.
Hi Mr Hush,
Thanks for the correction and apologies on my part (to all readers) for my mistake. Yes indeed, the LMC does stand for League Management Company.
However, it actually came into existence in 2013 as a non-profit organisation acting in the interest of the participating clubs in the NPFL and also the NFF (basically, it is jointly owned by the NFF and the football clubs).
The participating NPFL clubs nominate their representatives, rotated every football season, while a joint “selection committee” with the NFF appoints an independent chairman and two other independent directors on a four years tenure, to constitute the board.
The clubs register at no cost and receive various pay outs and bonuses depending on inflow of revenue while the LMC provides insurance, match day branding, official match balls, media presence, indemnities and various other organisational costs.
Now, as many clubs are publicly owned and with strong influence from the NFF, the LMC still leans strongly more towards “public ownership” (in my view).
I feel at times that I am too harsh on the LMC but that is not my intention.
I am really keen to see the advancement of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), not only for national pride and the pleasure of sporting entertainment but as well for the economic opportunities it provides and its contributions to continued nation building.
I tune to watch highlights of Daniel Akpeyi in the South African Premier League and I am always so jealous! I don’t think it is beyond us as a nation to produce such a compelling, exciting and engrossing product!
Yet the league is in shambles.
I hope that some day, some people will get it right and we Nigerians can have a product, a brand that will be the pride of the nation.
In the meantime, I wish the brains behind this new NPIFL private league initiative every success in their endeavour.
@Deo
Thanks for the effort you put in to put out information.
I think we are both “partially” correct.
The LMC was actually incorporated in November 2012 through the Interim management committee(IMC) constituted by the NFF to stand in for the now defunct NPL so as there wouldn’t be a vacuum ,as regards professional football in the country.
But the LMC took full control in 2013 after been created(as per incorporation) in November 2012.
Thanks for letting us into the LMC structures and operations of the management and league system.
The best that can ever happen to Nigerian football is if the government can stop their funding of the league, I think this initiative is a step in that direction. I’ll advise the few privately owned club in the current npfl crossover to this league and let the government be playing themselves, their league will soon become boring, because attentions would have shifted to this league if well managed and made to be more attractive.
Honestly, this news doesnt excite me one bit…and I dont know why.
Maybe because we heard way more than this in 1990 when Professional league football was 1st launched in Nigeria before the English Premier league even came into existence. Then we even had more private clubs involved than now…the likes of Udoji Utd, Jasper Utd latter Gabros International, Eagle Cement, BCC lions, Ranchers bees, Julius Berger, NPA FC, Nigerdock, Stationery Stores, Leventis Utd, Iwuanyanwu Nationale and many others. Infact that period was also one of our best on the continent..WAFU cup, Sekou Toure cup(CCL), MKO Abiola Cup(CAF CUP), Kegame Cup abi na Tessema cup abi wetin dem dey call am that time (CAF CWC)….we were a strong force to reckon with in club football on the continent..always getting to medal zones in intercontinental club football in Africa.
It was very easy to pick a homebased player and guarantee he will tie down a shirt in the SE then. Our players where signed straight into European clubs there in Nigeria. Finidi played one match this weekend for Sharks and was in the starting line up next weekend at Ajax. Amokachi moved straight from kaduna to Brugge in Belgium. Thats why I just laugh most times when these backward thinkers bring up the argument that Westerhoff scouted the Nigerian league in the early 90s, so Rohr MUST do same in the year 2020, forgetting that the BEST Nigerian players were in the league in 1990 while the BEST nigerian players are in Europe in 2020, as if the solidity in talent base, structure and organization of the league 30 years ago is same with what it is today. The “talents” in our league in 2020 can hardly make it past the Mediterranean sea into Europe…infact it is far easier for an academy player in nigeria to get signed up in europe than for an NPFL player who has played more than 2 seasons to pass ordinary trials in Europe. Academies in Nigeria are making far more profit than professional clubs (pubic or private) in the NPFL. Kingsley Sokari, Junior Lokosa, Orji Okonkwo, chisom Chikatara, Chibuzor Okonkwo, Tony Edjomarigwe, Osaguno Ighodaro…….I can go on and on……their careers have virtually been buried in the sahara deserts of North African football. Ony Junior Ajayi seems to have been consistent amongst them all moving from 3SC to to AhAhly.
The Euphoria that greeted the establishment of a Professional league in 1990 continued to die slowly until the league became even worse than it used to be…its the relics we are still seeing today. And from history, once anything starts sinking in Nigeria, it often sinks to rock bottom, even the country itself is nearing rock bottom since it started sinking after that sham election of 1979…Thats Why when local coach activists (no 1 Segun Odegbami) claimed they will rather continue to sink with local coaches, i always burst out with huge laughter….knowing that things that sink in Nigeria never stop sinking until even an under-water remote vehicle can not locate it anymore. We all saw how our SE was sinking on per second billing before Rohr (Yes this same Rohr ) came to rescue us and gave some people mouth to talk.
Just like anything Nigeria, our unprofessionalism and self-centeredness will most likely ruin it eventually, because when I look at the same teams coming together to form this league, the 1st question i ask myself is how many of them are CURRENTLY BEING RUN PROFESSIONALLY…? How many of them has even met CAF club licencing compliance protocols thus far…??? Not even Ifeanyi Uba FC.
On this Investors abi na investment league, I will prefer to keep my fingers crossed. I will only take them serious when I see them bring on board people who have that pedigree to have managed and run leagues successfully (even if it is from South Africa). Even the likes of Dangote, Innoson and Adenuga often throw patriotism into the dustbin and surround themselves with technocrats who have pedigree od having previously delivered on such project at hand. These are people who know what they are putting in and cannot not afford any margins for failure.