NPFL format saga: Club managers cannot hold league to ransom – Victor Ikpeba

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

Former Nigeria international Victor Ikpeba said club managers that don’t want to be part of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) can leave, stressing that the health of players should take utmost priority.

Following Wednesday’s draw for 2022/2023 season at the Sandralia Hotel, Jabi, Abuja, the former AS Monaco player insists that players are the ones that should come first as long as football is concerned anywhere in the world.

 “For those club managers that didn’t attend today’s draw, it is not important, I think it is for them to cure, if they don’t want to be part of the league, let them leave. They can’t hold the league to ransom. It’s so sad that the abridged league has to go on,” Ikpeba told media.

“There is an election coming up next year, and there is a lot of insecurity, and issues of kidnapping, clubs have had issues with that in the past. So to shorten the league till the end of May is a good idea, why are they afraid of playing? That is my own opinion,” he said.

The former Dortmund star opined that he is not pleased with what is happening with the way football was being administered especially the money owed referees, while urging the IMC to go ahead with the league if the club managers are not interested in participating in it.

“Nigeria can do without these club sides. I pray it comes a day when state governments will no longer be involved in club football. I think it is a massive distraction. For these people to think they come first, is a joke. The people that come first are the players.”

On the money owed referees, the Delta State-born-philanthropist said: “I think it is a shame for referees not to be paid for the last three years in one of the most popular sports in the world.

“I think it is a shame what is happening to football back home and very was good for these people (IMC) to say they want to guarantee the payment of referees. It will definitely help against poor officiating in our domestic league.

“It is a new dawn for our local football. Some people think developing the national team comes first, no! The local league comes first. If you look at the EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, they come first before the national team,” he concluded.

Despite some clubs strong stands for a straight league format, the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of NPFL insists that the abridged league was best suited for the 2022/2023 season in order to meet up with Confederation of African Football (CAF) deadline for the submission of representatives for CAF inter club competitions.