Developing local league

As in Europe and other parts of the world, there are different football leagues in Nigeria.

Many Nigerians, particularly those of the older generations, are familiar with teams such as Stationery Stores of Lagos, Gateway FC, Shooting Stars of Ibadan, Kano Pillars, Rangers of Enugu, Heartland of Owerri and, lately, MFM FC of Lagos, among others.

The key point, however, is that these teams are not doing as well as they should. This is largely because of the low patronage of the local matches by Nigerians, who are arguably one of the most passionate football fans in the whole orld.

Nigerians live and dream football, but they just cannot connect with the local teams nowadays. But this was not always the case. As late as 1995, Nigerians trooped into the stadiums in their thousands to watch the local matches.

Furthermore, many Nigerians could recite the names of the leading players in the Nigerian Professional League off hand.

Players like Jesus Ndongo, Sam Pam, Duke Udi, Patrick Kalala and others were household names. It has been suggested that the biased officiating in the Nigerian league is a major factor fuelling the disinterest of Nigerian fans in local matches.

It is trite knowledge that some teams never lose matches at home. Referees are forced to either compromise or risk losing their lives. Indeed, the case was once reported of a referee who was forced to award a controversial penalty to a home team, only to note in his match report that he was forced to award the dubious penalty. This factor should be addressed.

Also, there is the issue of timing. The local matches should not clash with the EPL or La Liga matches. A free atmosphere should also be created in our stadiums where families can watch matches in a relaxed mood.

Sunday Adeniji

Lagos.