Ezeji deserves to be NPFL ambassador —Amapakabo

Enugu Rangers head coach, Imama Amapakabo believes that Victor Ezeji deserves to be named ambassador for the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

Ezeji played in the Nigeria topflight for 20 seasons before calling it quits and is now expected to be celebrated in a testimonial – the first-ever by a player who featured in the top division in the country, and Amapakabo who coached him at different times with Sharks (now merged with Dolphins as Rivers United), is calling for the former league top scorer to be recognised.

Amapakabo, who led Rangers to win the NPFL title for the first time in 32 years, is of the opinion that Ezeji is “a legend in his own right” considering his achievement in the league and with the different clubs he featured for.

“Who has won more [honours] than Victor Ezeji?”

“He is a legend in his own right. And I think it is about time the LMC (League Management Company) made him an ambassador of the league as opposed to someone who didn’t play in the league.

“He won virtually everything in the land – highest goalscorer, MVP and more. He is the one that we see and he is the one that we know. He is the one the young players look up to.

“There is no person that plays in the league today that does not know Victor Ezeji. Mention his name and you’ll see he is an idol. Is it because he is one of us? We should celebrate one of our own. I doff my hat to him.”

Ezeji made his first bow in the top division with Sharks in 1996 before going on to play for Dolphins, Enyimba, Sunshine Stars and Heartland.

He also had a brief stint with Tunisian side Club Africain.

The Victor Ezeji testimonial is expected to be held in Port Harcourt in December this year.