Good day!<\/p>\n
Silence is a curious thing.<\/p>\n
Sometimes it speaks louder than words. Sometimes it protects. Sometimes it conceals. And sometimes, it simply leaves people guessing.<\/p>\n
In football, silence has its place. Negotiations should happen behind closed doors. Contracts should be discussed away from the spotlight. Not every conversation deserves an audience.<\/p>\n
But once the ink has dried and the deal is done, silence stops being strategy. It becomes distance.<\/p>\n
Perhaps that is one tradition Nigerian football needs to outgrow.<\/p>\n
One area where many NPFL clubs still seem stuck in time is recruitment. The unwritten rule has always been to keep every card close to the chest. Nothing is said, nothing is confirmed and nothing is denied until the club decides it is time to speak\u2014which, in many cases, never happens. Instead, supporters simply wake up on matchday and discover new faces in the squad.<\/p>\n
The usual argument is that revealing transfer targets gives rival clubs the opportunity to hijack deals. While there is some truth in that, it only applies to negotiations.<\/p>\n
No serious club anywhere in the world announces negotiations. Those conversations happen quietly behind closed doors. But once contracts are signed, the story changes. Clubs proudly unveil their new players, explain why they were signed and allow the fans to share in the excitement. After all, transfers are not just football decisions; they are also part of keeping supporters engaged.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, that is still not the reality in Nigerian football. Here, players often leave without as much as a goodbye. Their contracts expire, they disappear and everyone moves on as if they never wore the club’s colours. Weeks later, new faces quietly emerge, often without fans knowing who has left, why they left or what the club’s recruitment strategy actually is.<\/p>\n
To be fair, there are reasons for this culture. Contract disputes are common in the NPFL. Salary arrears, transfer disagreements and unsettled obligations are never far away. It is understandable that clubs prefer to handle delicate matters quietly.<\/p>\n
But should that silence continue even after everything has been concluded?<\/p>\n
I don’t think so.<\/p>\n
The encouraging part is that a few clubs are beginning to do things differently. They have realised that supporters deserve to know what is happening at the clubs they invest their emotions in. Fans are not just spectators; they are the heartbeat of every football club. The bigger and more engaged the fan base, the healthier the club becomes\u2014not just on the pitch but financially as well. Fans buy jerseys, fill stadiums, attract sponsors and keep conversations around the club alive. Ignoring them only weakens that bond.<\/p>\n
That is why I still struggle to understand why completed deals remain secret. Negotiations should be private, but once a deal is done, what exactly is there to hide? How can a club as big as Enyimba allow players to leave without officially thanking them for their service? How do new players arrive without properly introducing them to the supporters who will be expected to cheer them every weekend?<\/p>\n
The average Enyimba fan spends time refreshing the club’s official pages, hoping for credible information. Instead, supporters are left to rely on rumours, social media whispers and unofficial reports. At that point, everything becomes speculation because only the club has the authority to confirm what is true.<\/p>\n
What makes it even more surprising is that this is happening in 2026. After narrowly escaping relegation last season, this should have been the perfect opportunity to reconnect with the supporters, rebuild trust and generate optimism ahead of the new campaign. Communication is one of the simplest ways to strengthen the relationship between a club and its fans, yet it remains one of our weakest areas.<\/p>\n
Perhaps this old approach will finally produce new results. Perhaps the silence is part of a bigger plan that will become clear in the coming weeks. As supporters, we can only hope that is the case because while building a stronger squad is important, rebuilding the confidence of the fan base is just as crucial.<\/p>\n
Football clubs are built on more than tactics, signings and trophies. They are built on trust. And trust grows when supporters feel included in the journey, not left to piece it together through rumours.<\/p>\n
Maybe the next evolution of Nigerian football isn’t another tactical innovation or expensive signing.<\/p>\n
Maybe it’s simply learning when to break the silence.<\/p>\n
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