Top of the morning, nd\u1ecb Enyimba ibem!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A beautiful weekend is around the corner, and we\u2019re buzzing with anticipation for this round of Nigeria Premier Football League action. The NPFL never fails to deliver\u2014a cocktail of drama, fans, football, twists, and subplots that keep us glued season after season, through the highs and lows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But let\u2019s be honest\u2014today\u2019s piece is coming straight from the heart, fuelled by genuine concern for our beloved league.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From the good ol\u2019 NPL to LMC\u2019s NPFL (Professional), IMC\u2019s NPFL (Premier), and now NPL\u2019s NPFL\u2014name change after name change, acronym shuffle after acronym shuffle\u2014yet the issues remain deeply rooted. Some of the same headaches we had during Chief Rumson Baribote\u2019s era are still alive and well in Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye\u2019s tenure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s talk about them, shall we?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Security? Still shaky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Branding and marketing? A work in (everlasting) progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Broadcasting? Let\u2019s not even go there just yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The way we operate sometimes, it\u2019s like we\u2019re running a community tournament at the village square\u2014not a nation\u2019s top-flight football league. And it shows. The inconsistency, the disorganisation\u2014it all chips away at the value of the NPFL and leaves a ripple of mediocrity running through the lower divisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And don\u2019t get me started on punishments and appeals. The disciplinary decisions? All over the place. One club gets slammed, another gets a slap on the wrist for a similar offence. Then appeals fly in, and out comes a strange ruling from the NFF committee that makes you want to pour palm wine on your head and ask, \u201cAre we even trying to grow this league or just keeping it on life support?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Broadcast partners? Ha! They come in, sign exclusivity rights, and then operate on vibes and sabbaticals. Redstrike, MultiChoice, Propel Sports Africa, StarTimes\u2014it\u2019s always the same plot with different characters. Nobody holds them accountable. They decide when they want to show matches and when to ghost the league, and somehow, the organisers just watch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even something as basic as matchday scheduling is chaos. You can\u2019t tell a team to prepare for a Sunday fixture, then change it to Friday midweek, only to revert to Sunday again. That\u2019s not just poor planning\u2014it\u2019s disrespectful to the clubs, the fans, and everyone trying to build something around this league. The latest incident with our team says it all. That kind of flip-flopping is not just frustrating\u2014it\u2019s embarrassing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, don\u2019t get me wrong\u2014it\u2019s not a witch-hunt. I don\u2019t believe there\u2019s any grand sabotage at play here. But what it is, is a lack of coordination and leadership. And it needs to be called out. Not for clout. Not for claps. But for the good of the league.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As our people say:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOnye kp\u1ecd\u1ecd obo ya mkp\u1ecdk\u1ecdr\u1ecd, \u1ee5m\u1ee5r\u1ecbma egworo ya gburie ew\u1ee5r\u1ecb.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(When a man calls his calabash useless, the children will make it a plaything.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If we don\u2019t respect our own league, why should anyone else?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A word, they say, is enough for the wise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Enyimba Enyi.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Top of the morning, nd\u1ecb Enyimba ibem! A beautiful weekend is around the corner, and we\u2019re buzzing with anticipation for this round of Nigeria Premier Football League action. The NPFL […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2058,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"breadcrumbs_single_post":"","page_title_panel":"","breadcrumbs_single_page":"","single_page_alignment":"","single_page_margin":"","page_structure_type":"","content_style_source":"","content_style":"","blog_post_streched_ed":"","blog_page_streched_ed":"","has_transparent_header":"","disable_transparent_header":"","vertical_spacing_source":"","content_area_spacing":"","single_post_content_background":"","single_page_content_background":"","single_post_boxed_content_spacing":"","single_page_boxed_content_spacing":"","single_post_content_boxed_radius":"","single_page_content_boxed_radius":"","disable_featured_image":"","disable_post_tags":"","disable_author_box":"","disable_posts_navigation":"","disable_comments":"","disable_related_posts":"","disable_header":"","disable_footer":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_rishi_post_view_count":359},"categories":[6],"tags":[3,4,5],"class_list":["post-2251","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-enyimba","tag-nigeria-professional-football-league","tag-npfl","rishi-post"],"yoast_head":"\n