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Nigerian football league is on its deathbed – Sunday Dare

September 16, 2022 No Comments

Minister of youth and sports development, Sunday Dare has described the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) as a league on its deathbed.

Speaking at the ministerial briefing at the presidential villa, Abuja, on Thursday September 15, Dare noted that the league is currently in a state of disarray, with coaches, players and referees owed salaries and allowances.

He also said they’ve made efforts to speak to those in-charge but never got any response. Dare said;

“Between May and August, we did not issue a directive because we wanted the Premier League to complete its season without any disruption.

But also, during that period, the ministry made efforts to speak with those in charge. We never got any response.“As we sit here, our league is on its deathbed. We know the nature of our domestic league. And just yesterday (Wednesday) I got a letter from the club owners. I met with them two weeks ago. I also met with the female football leaders.

There’s a letter that came on September 1, I only got it yesterday stating clearly that they have numerous problems with the LMC running the league. Unpaid emoluments, referees are not paid, coaches are not paid.

“So, in May 2022, there was a presidential directive and as a ministry, we applied reasonable judgment and delayed that communication.

But at a point when the league ended, and we saw the continuous decline of our football, we thought it was the right time to take the necessary action. And that was what we did.

There’s no connection between that decision with the NFF election, it stands alone.” Dare also revealed that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has received over N15 billion from the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

It was a gathering of football stars in Port Harcourt on Tuesday when Minister of Youth and sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare unveiled the Real Madrid Football Academy.

While commissioning the academy that combines football with education, the minister gave the assurance that the institution would not only create jobs, but produce world class future stars.

Dare said from time immemorial, Rivers State had a reputation for producing notable sports people like the Great Jaja of Opobo, Alfred Diette Spiff, Justice Karibe Whyte, foremost viriologist Professor Tam David West as well as two Sports Ministers Alabo Graham Douglas and Tammy Danagogo.

He said “Today’s event is therefore not only epochal but special and monumental. I’m confident that the Real Madrid Academy will produce fantastic players in the mould of Paul Hamilton, Justice Adokiye Amaesimaka, Jossy Dombraye, Taribo West, Furo Iyenemi and Nigeria’s most capped player Joseph Yobo. The foundation for the actualisation of this dream has been laid today”.

Dare went on to say that even as the duo of Emmanuel Amuneke and Gbenga Okunowo had played for Real Madrid bitter rivals Barcelona, no Nigerian has played for the Galaticos.

He, however, opined that the brand new academy could change that trajectory by producing new Raul Gonzalez, Roberto Carlos, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and a host of others.”

The minister, therefore, assured the Rivers State Government of the unflinching support of the Federal Ministry of Youth and sports Development to ensure the implementation of the academy’s mandate.

It will be recalled that the Real Madrid Football Academy, Port-Harcourt was founded in 2019 by the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike having been given the Franchise to operate by the Real Madrid Foundation.