I pray for live telecast of 80% of Nigerian league matches next season –Godwin Enakhena

Godwin Enakhena is the Sports administrator World Wide of Mountain of Fire and Miracles. In this interview with VICTOR OGUNYINKA, he reflects on the performance of his debutant team in the Nigeria Professional Football League, how the league could be a global brand among other issues. Excerpts:

 

Your team started quite strong in its debut season in the NPFL, but almost finished in the relegation zone, were you disappointed?

I told the media that MFM of Lagos was ready for the league as far back as 2007, though we were still playing non-league football then. I wasn’t blabbing and the world saw exactly that in the first round of the Nigeria Professional Football League with our great performance, but I realised that something was missing a few games into the second round, lack of experience and a lean squad. I wasn’t disappointed because we didn’t set out to win the league in our first outing, but the experience garnered will stand us in good stead next season.

 

What is your assessment of the just-concluded season generally?

I give kudos to the Shehu Dikko-led League Management Company. We haven’t gotten there yet because we’ve a long way to go, but Rome wasn’t built in a day, remember that. Sponsors have started coming and many more will come.  All I pray for is for at least 80 per cent of NPFL games to be live on television next season, it will solve 80 per cent of the challenges we had last season during games where the home teams wanted to win at all cost and it I’ll reduce to the barest minimum the cankerworm called hooliganism.

 

What do you think the LMC should introduce or remove next season?

Aside having more live games on television, there has to be decisiveness in dealing with teams and players who run foul of the rules governing the league. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the LMC should be in sync in these areas.  Playing surfaces should be looked into, teams without standard pitches should be asked to look for alternatives, and good football can’t be played on bad pitches as we saw the last time. Mechanisms should be put in place to ensure that players and officials are paid as and when due.

 

What are your targets for next season?

MFM FC will go into next season with experience and more professionalism; we want to finish amongst the top three for a continental ticket and take the Federation Cup seriously. We want to avoid a repeat of last season; our fans deserve to be happy and proud of us at the end of the season. Key factor is that we won’t change our philosophy of playing entertaining football that is result-oriented.

 

How do you see the LMC/La Liga partnership?

The LMC/La Liga partnership is to sell Nigerian football to the Spanish people and by extension the rest of the world. It is to expose our league players to professionalism by playing against the best players in the world like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and a host of other top footballers. The partnership will see top Spanish sides come to Nigeria to play some selected NPFL sides. Nigerian club chairmen were included on the tour to learn how their counterparts manage clubs.

 

You have brought football back to Lagos and your fan base is swelling by the day, is security not going to be an issue in the team’s future matches?

We are aware of all these challenges, topmost which is security; we are working with the Lagos State Football Association in this direction. The expectation will be huge next season and we can’t afford to fail our fans and our amiable General Overseer and lover of youth, Dr Daniel Olukoya, not forgetting the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Akinwumi Ambode, who despite his very busy schedule, found time to come to the stadium to watch us play last season.

 

Your players, no doubt would get attention from bigger clubs, any fear about keeping your best hands?

As I said earlier, MFM FC is one big family and we are convinced that our best legs will stay for next season. Reasons are simple, we pay them well and as and when due. Dr Olukoya has provided them a very conducive hostel that has constant electricity and he feeds them daily, not forgetting the spiritual aspect as prayers are offered by the church daily for their advancement in their chosen careers. Yes, it will be our joy to see them turn professional footballers outside the country or join bigger clubs but as I said earlier, MFM FC is offering them what they may not get elsewhere in Nigeria.

Note: This interview was conducted before Enakhena’s new appointment as the Sports Administrator, World Wide of the MFM.