Former Super Eagles Striker Brown Ideye Blasts NPFL, Exposes Major Issues Affecting Local League
- Former Super Eagles striker Brown Ideye has criticised the declining standards of the Nigeria Premier Football League
- The 2013 Africa Cup of Nationa winner highlighted poor welfare and infrastructure as key issues affecting the local league
- Ideye has urged Nigerian clubs to improve their standards before competing in continental tournaments
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Brown Ideye has voiced his concerns about the state of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), urging urgent reforms to elevate its standards.
The 36-year-old former Super Eagles striker, who recently returned to the NPFL with Enyimba, lamented the decline in quality since his first stint in the league over a decade ago.
Having kick-started his career at Ocean Boys, where he won the NPFL title in 2007, Ideye’s return to the Nigerian league was met with optimism.
Source: Twitter
However, with two goals in six games for Enyimba, he has observed first-hand the league’s challenges.
In a recent interview after Enyimba’s loss to Kwara United in Illorin, the AFCON 2013 winner shared his disappointment.
“The system is getting worse, the league is not getting better. I feel like we have a long way to go in the league. While my time at Enyimba has been wonderful, there are a lot of things in the league that need to improve.”
Welfare issues affecting players and performance
One of Ideye’s major criticisms is the poor welfare of players in the NPFL, which he believes has negatively impacted the league’s reputation and performance on the continental stage.
The former West Brom and Dynamo Kyiv forward pinpointed that the inadequate treatment of players has contributed to Nigerian clubs’ underwhelming performances in CAF competitions.
He also emphasised the need for better infrastructure, logistics, and player care to make Nigerian clubs competitive at the continental level after declaring they are unprepared to compete against Africa’s best clubs.
“In terms of travelling, it’s bad, in terms of feeding, it’s bad, in terms of the hotel and helping the players to relax, it’s all bad.
“Nigerians and the clubs are not ready for continental football. I feel we should put our house together before we can go play continental football instead of going there to disgrace ourselves,” Ideye concluded.
Despite his return to Nigerian football, Ideye is adamant that substantial improvements must be made for the league to regain its glory.
Ideye’s current club, Enyimba International, is currently ninth on the NPFL table, 12 points behind league leaders Remo Stars.
Enyimba announce signing of Brown Ideye
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Brown Ideye has officially joined Enyimba Football Club of Aba, the record winners of the Nigerian Premier League.
The club had announced an agreement with the striker, who won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations under the tutelage of Stephen Keshi.
Ideye joins former international teammates Ahmed Musa and Shehu Abdullahi of Kano Pillars in the Nigerian top flight.
Also, former Super Eagles defender Godfrey Oboabona remains a member of Sunshine Stars of Akure after he was unveiled in February.
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Source: Legit.ng
