Former Super Eagles forward, Daniel Amokachi, has said Nigerian clubs would have to do more in terms of players’ welfare package if they hope to make any lasting impression in the CAF competitions, the Champions League and the Confederation Cup like their counterparts across the continent.
The Atlanta 1996 Olympic gold winner also stated that football has become a big-time business that needs a long-term investment in the area of facilities to reap bountifully.
According to the former England player, Nigerian clubs cannot yet match leading clubs in Africa, who pay their players mouth-watering wages and incentives, because they know and understand what players’ welfare stands for.
“Football is business. If we don’t get it to that level, then we’ll continue struggling. Those players who come to play for their teams and represent their teams against Nigerian teams are making $30,000 to $50,000 a month. If you make the arithmetic, convert it to the forex to naira, you know what that is.
“The highest-paid player in Nigeria knows how much that is. So the professionalism of those teams and our teams is a huge difference. These are teams that have been there since the early 19th Century.
“You have teams that have facilities that, if not bigger than Kuje, are almost half of Kuje. That’s how sports is. They train on good pitches. They have 50 teams around their establishment, 12 pitches around where they train. They have a stadium that is always full week in, week out.
“So there’s a lot that needs to be done. And we’ll get there. And the only thing that will make us go there, as I said, is we, standing here, and you asking me the question. We have to propel what we have. And if we get it right, then definitely those sponsors will come in. And if those sponsors come in, then definitely it will be business,” the former Besiktas of Turkey forward stated.
The 1994 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) winner, however, commended the level of progression in the league in terms of the pay cheque for the champions and the rate of away wins being recorded.
“I think in the last four or five years, we cannot take that away from all the leagues. From the NLO to the NNL to the NPFL. The ratios of away wins have climbed a lot. A lot of goals are being scored in the league, like in the previous seasons.
“And, you know, the package for the winners is something that makes football become business. We’ve seen the ratios of the champions’ pay cheque from N100 million to N200 million to N250 million. That’s huge, and we hope that the league continues to get sponsors to sustain and make it the way it’s supposed to be. But there’s still a lot that needs to be done”, he added.
