Npfl: Shortcut At A Crossroad

By Opeyemi Ajala

The battle for supremacy for the soul of Nigerian football that intensified after our World Cup exit is no longer a news item, however the intended and unintended consequences will continue like a tattoo to stay with us.

While the Judiciary and Executive have recognized different sets of excos (the legistaure is yet to confirm either party, partly due to the recess) for the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), It is appropriate to reconsider the League Management Company's (LMC) decision to end the 2018 NPFL league season after matchday 24 with 14 rounds of matches outstanding.

Instead of the 'collective' decision to anoint Lobi Stars as Champions for the sole purpose of meeting up with the October 15 deadline set by CAF for the submission of next year's flagbearers for CAF competitions, why not forfeit the Champions league slot next year and concentrate on the league. Champions league slot should be the icing on the cake and not the cake itself? In the 1985, the English teams were banned from Europe, yet the league did not stop before the readmission in 1990.

This year's flagbearers - Plateau United and MFM fell at the first round without making the Champions league proper and even the Confederations Cup after demotion! So why sacrifice the uncertainty of a round of Champions league football for one team at the expense of 14 round of matches for 20 teams? The opportunity cost of the various amendments to the league formats for this season and next season just to satisfy a CAF Champions league slot is simply not a good Returns on Investment.

Never again should we take this route that appears to be a short cut when at a cross road.

Opeyemi Ajala FCA was a Former Presenter, Eagle Sports Hour on Eagles Cable Television