Nigerian league work in progress — Elegbeleye

… hails River United’s qualification for CAFCC group phase

The chairman, Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Gbenga Elegbeleye, has said the League is a work-in-progress as he praised Rivers United’s qualification for the money-spinning group stage of the CAF Champions League, the first by any Nigerian clubs in years. 

Elegbeleye, who was responding to series of questions on a WhatsApp platform monitored by Sporting Tribune, said compared to the recent past, the League calendar is now stable and has aligned with Europe. 

He added that the league now not only has a sponsor but that referees now enjoy regular payment of their entitlement, and teams are now recording victories away from home almost every week.

The former federal lawmaker maintained that the league body is more concerned about clubs providing facilities and home ground that will aid the free flow of the game and provide players the ability to display their skills and talents to the outside world. 

He said, “I maintained that we are trying to bring sanity to the system, but it is still a work in progress. But definitely, we have gone beyond where we were. At least we have a stable calendar, and we have succeeded in regular payment of referee entitlements. Referees threatened us at the inception of boycotting the league because of over 3 years of unpaid entitlements. Teams are winning away from home almost every match day. 

“The critics are definitely blind to Rivers United’s qualification to the group stage of the Champions League after several years of arrested development. Regarding the infrastructure deficit, most of the clubs belon

gs to state governments. We have consistently banned clubs from unsuitable home grounds. Imagine banning Sunshine Stars from playing in Akure, despite the fact that the NPFL Chairman hails from same place. We finished our season same day as the EPL and La Liga last season. We are now in week 10, same as the EPL and La Liga.” 

The former Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC) added, “We have maintained impartiality and openness. We met a league without any sponsor, yet we have been able to consistently increase the price money for the league winners from N100m to N150m and N200m. There was no price money for years. We are human, we will continue to work harder and it can only get better. 

“Like I said at the parley, kudos to the GTI group, my sincere appreciation to the media for projecting the league positively despite little or no patronage. Together, we will move the league out of the woods. In a few weeks from now, we will be signing new endorsements due to your positive support.”

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