According to the Chief Operating Officer of the League Management Company, Salihu Abubakar, all clubs registering for the Nigerian football league 2015 should show a a quarterly financial performance guarantee of 50 million naira or a one off 200 million naira. This is the basic condition for licensing to be part of the 2015 professional football league. *yinmu*...story for the gods.
Realists like me don't believe they will stick to this. Last season, a minimum wage was set for players. We all know how players of Sharks, Dolphins and Rivers Angels slept in front of the government house in protest of non payment of long standing salaries and allowances. I am surprised no Nollywood producer have deemed it fit to produce a movie in that direction.
A lot of people in Nigeria don't watch the Nigerian football league. I must say however, that last season was impressive. Kudos to the LMC. The lack of interest by a vast majority of the Nigerian football community can be attributed to sheer unseriousness by, not the players, but the organisers. This, I think is what necessitated the birth of the LMC. Maybe as a result of the contract with Supersport, there was a marked improvement in the organisation. Last season was fair. This season, billed to resume on the 7th of March could be better, or worse off. Better, because we can build on the improvement of last season. Worse, because we have a culture of instead of bettering on 'achievements', we do a Michael Jackson moon walk and slide back to a position beyond where we were before we started off. Example could be cited in the recent non qualification of the Super Eagles for AFCON 2015 having won the 2014 edition. Shameful. But then shame means nothing to us. Sometimes we even feed off shame. Mouth 'shame' to the average Nigerian child and he will spread his phalanges towards you and scream 'waka'! We no dey shame.
Last season recorded lots of beauties. Teams could go away from their homes and batter the home side. Rarities in the past. Everybody sat up. I believe the conducive atmosphere was what gave rise to Emem Eduok and Mfon Udo's emergence as stars of the season.
I went to the Samson Siasia stadium in Yenagoa and saw that the 'pitch' was still a concrete layout. Having removed the artificial turf two seasons ago for a re-lay, it was duly abandoned due to contractual differences between the contractor and the Bayelsa State government. I was appalled to see it still like that. That means Bayelsa United will this season, play away from home like they did last season when they had to play in Benin and Nembe City played in Omokhu. A factor that led to Nembe City's eventual relegation from the elite league. Home ground issues should form part of conditions for licensing and not just finances. In Nigerian football league, the hostility in away games is solid. When one now has to play home games in an adopted 'home' ground, then you are not home. You are in hell. Football hell.
Will the coming season be a beautiful one? Are we going to see comedy or real football? I want to believe that all the stakeholders are ready for the resumption of hostilities. Talents abound in the country, but (unfavourable) condition is always an enemy of talent. That said, we hope to witness less comedy and more football.
It makes you wonder how the so called administrators assess their performance, if they set any standards for the league at all. Sorry state of affairs in Yenegoa, so unnecessary and I'm sure they are not alone. I think if the people at the helm think more of leaving a lasting legacy and less of stuffing their pockets, football in Nigeria will be something to reckon with and not comedy to laugh about. Nice write-up.
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