Matches of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) will now be televised and played on standard pitches, the league’s Interim Management Committee (IMC) has said.
“We want the world to see our league, see our players; and this can only be done when the matches are televised and we also will not show the world sub-standard pitches hence we are insisting under NFF Club Licensing that only television friendly stadium will be approved for matches”, IMC Chairman, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye said on Monday.
He said the IMC is adopting a holistic approach to develop a framework to reposition NPFL in line with the mandate given it by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports.
Addressing the media after a consultative meeting with NPFL club owners and their representatives, Elegbeleye explained said that the committee is committed to ensuring that the NPFL would be organised in line with global best practices going forward.
He warned that any club that fails to meet the standard set for facilities would have to choose another venue for their home games.
The former Chairman of the National Sports Commission said that the purpose of the meeting with the club owners was to brief them on IMC activities and notify them of the proposed date for the start of the new season.
“Basically, what we did today was to interact with the clubs that participate in the league, inform them of our plans for the organisation of the league, full implementation of club licensing and a date for the commencement for the new season as well as the format.
“However, we can’t provide you (the media) with specific details until we meet with the NFF in a few days and secure their buy-in”, the IMC Chairman said in response to a question from the media.
“We discussed club licensing and facilities, we made the clubs understand that if their stadium failed to meet the required standard they have to go and play in another venue.
“We want to put our league matches on the television and the pitch must be television friendly because for the whole world to see Nigerian league, we want the players to be exposed to the world”, he insisted.
