It has been quite the rollercoaster week for football fans, especially those loyal to Enyimba and followers of the Nigeria Premier Football League at large. Unfortunately, the thrills have not come from dazzling goals or edge-of-the-seat finishes. Instead, we’ve been served a steady diet of groans, embarrassment, and disbelief — enough to make you wonder if Nigerian football is quietly auditioning for an award titled Most Disgraceful Team or League of the Season. If such an award doesn’t exist, perhaps it’s time to introduce one. The nominees are stacking up nicely.
From what I’ve observed this month, it feels like a secret memo was circulated among clubs, carefully hidden from the public, urging everyone to outdo each other in chaos and confusion. Our own Enyimba situation has neatly divided the fanbase into two camps: the hopeful believers clinging to faith, and the realists already drafting relegation obituaries. Somewhere in between, the league’s drama meter exploded when Kun Khalifat FC pulled off the bizarre feat of withdrawing from the NPFL, only to re-enter within 24 hours — a plot twist straight out of a soap opera. Just when you thought that was peak madness, Niger Tornadoes hinted at following the same path.
And because this league never knows when to stop, El Kanemi Warriors decided to celebrate something so awkward that it almost defies explanation — yet still felt compelled to issue a press statement about it. Some things, honestly, are better left unsaid.
So what exactly is wrong with our football?
To be blunt, the league appears either stuck in neutral or drifting backwards. One has to ask: are clubs genuinely benefiting from participating in this competition? Yes, there is visibility, thanks to the Propel Sports Africa deal, but beyond that, what is the tangible reward? Two hundred million naira for the champions and a meagre ten million for everyone else. That’s the grand prize. No transformational income. No incentive strong enough to drive professionalism or long-term planning.
As a colleague rightly noted, none of us are innocent in this mess. League managers, club administrators, coaches, players, fans, journalists — we all play a role. Until we collectively abandon the obsession with short-term gains and start committing to a sustainable, well-structured model, this league will continue to limp along, never reaching the level its talent deserves.
For now, we have made our bed. And uncomfortable as it is, we will continue to lie in it — until we decide, collectively and deliberately, to change the game for good.
Enyimba Enyi.
