By Daily Sports Nigeria on February 20, 2023
Yours Truly in Sports was at the media parley with a very disarmingly unassuming Group Managing Director of GTI, Abubakar Lawal had with Editors on the Sports desks from the very dreaded Lagos-Ibadan press axis and their colleagues in Business desks recently.
It was methodical where home truth was strictly told on why Nigerian League since it went “professional” instead of making steady progress and profitability sadly retained dark notoriety of all motion, no movement all these years despite sponsors who pumped in multi millions Naira yet nothing to show vividly for it.
A recap, this columnist covered Nigerian League widely during its amateur years especially when Pepsi was sponsoring. I was on the staff of the great good old Daily Times when it was the newspaper conglomerate and others in Nigeria.
For the records, I was handling the preview of the league on Saturday Times under the banner Pulse Of The Big League and the game was growing and foremost attracting mammoth crowd in match venues week in week out.
That amateur era marked water shed/evolution on annals of Nigerian League. Then come dark epoch called professional league which made no significant mark but sadly was riddled by open corruption at all spheres.
Dear readers, the above introduction is essential so as to understand the transformations this league has undergone fruitlessly, except the amateur days before the current atmosphere looming towards positive Nigerian League.
I do n’t follow crowd but takes my time to look before leaping, such principle has helped in no small means. In that colouration therefore Daily Sports team votes in full support of this initiative or new order by GTI which usher in this realistic and unprecedented thinking which would make Nigerian League more viable to the benefit of Nigeria and Nigerians.
This profitable leeway according Nelson Ine will enable our present NPFL clubs stand solidly to compete amongst themselves and even in CAF club championships which has shown a lame duck outings in African championships so far after Enyimba International FC victories.
He was optimistic that sooner than later foreign investors would invade the country to purchase the present teams competing for honours in our league today. Ine foresaw a situation where the States sponsoring these teams today may not have the kind of capacity/muscle to keep them on.
This columnist after critical study and analysis from indices on ground has no doubt that this present arrangement would frontally uplift the league. On that ovation note we on the editorial desk of Daily Sports, a Google worldwide inspired digital newspaper support this lively and laudable move to the development of our league enroute our entire football.
Let me confess further that in all intents and purposes, it is crystal clear that GTI is absolutely ready armed to the teeth to reset and reboot Nigerian League. GTI is a solid investor that has been a big player in the capital market terrain and this is when our league would have bearing to ensure it will become uhuru for the good of the game in the country.
TNFF, the brain behind this new national order is leaving nothing to chance to drive this, haven critically studied other well organized and profitable leagues around the World before putting its best strategies on paper.
It won’t be overstatement to say that, this new project by GTI is a gift to Nigeria league and by extension Nigerian football at this critical time to recover, so that our football may excel. It is one pragmatic drive, not the Nicodemus way the past powers that be forced bitter pills on the throat of teeming fans of the most beautiful game in the World without any tangible upbeat movement despite multi millions of Naira that went into it.
We pray that the Egyptians we saw yesterday we see them no more. Our stand here therefore is forward with GTI and its partners who are keenly pushing this crusade of leading Nigerian League into the prestigious bracket club of big Leagues on the continent and globe.
The great wish of millions of Nigerian football fans is for TNFF to work the talk and ensure visibility of the game in the country. According to football buffs, since the commencement of the abridged league, enormous signs are there as teams now win away games, a situation that was totally alien to previous NPFL.
We have also witnessed referees and other match officials being heavily sanctioned. Referees allowances have been drastically improved upon to block any manipulation and these incentives are ready before their assignments for the week.
Teams play purely on their strength, technical and tactical discipline inspired by their bench as the sad era of buying matches are steadily fading away with the able arrival of GTI and TNFF. The knowhow and ability of the technical hands would be the only engine that would drive the game now.
Again, worthy of positing is the drastic measure being melted out to rudely behaved fans with heavy sanctions. These strict measures by TNFF would go a long way to instill discipline amongst fans in and around the stadium when matches are in progress or aftermath.
As this alarm bell tolls, pointing way forward for our league which has openly suffered massive avoidable loot, mismanagement and embezzlement of funds meant for the onward growth of the league for competitiveness, keen watchers must stand tall to infectiously embrace this new cruise. GTI and TNFF are here to make football pure business like what obtains elsewhere in England, France, Germany, Turkey and even South African and Egypt.
This novel idea must be supported unparallel and also applauded as fact is lurking in the corner that Nigerians stand the golden chance of watching seamless football matches on our soil via the day and night tolling of TNFF team.
For us in Daily Sports, it is bravo, but we are keenly watching closely the developing scenario breezing through our Premier League. Keep shooting hard till next week. Meanwhile we wait!!
Source Daily Sports Nigeria
Posted February 20, 2023
You may also like...
Stephen Keshi goes home
Semi-final ticket inspired Nigeria U17 emphatic win over...
PSG Sweat Over Mbappe’s Fitness Ahead Of Real...
Arsenal Sign Odegaard From Real Madrid
Oliseh Explains Why He Left Super Eagles Coaching...
Okagbare Loses Appeal, Begins Four-Year Ban Over Banned...