‘No Professional Football Club in Nigeria’ – Onigbinde

‘No Professional Football Club in Nigeria’ – Onigbinde

Former Head Coach of the Super Eagles, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde is no stranger to controversy, but he’s really stirred the waters this time with his declaration that there is no truly ‘professional’ football club in the Nigerian League.

Onigbinde gave the damning verdict during an appearance on a radio programme monitored in Abuja in which he opined that going by the FIFA standard, “there is no Nigerian team that has a management that is elected”.

The former Fifa and Caf Instructor went further to explain that a major shortcoming of NPFL sides is that they have refused to be organized and run professionally like their counterparts in other parts of the globe, Vanguard writes.

“The truth is that in the real sense of the word there is no professional club in Nigeria,” the Modakeke chief stated.

“What FIFA recommends is that the management board of the clubs must be elected but you and I know that here they were all appointed. Secondly, do they have any strong youth teams? You know the answer.

“Clubs in Nigeria are operating like parastatals of government and that is why instead of investing to develop the game everybody is rather interested in what they will benefit personally.”

Onigbinde’s assertion comes after Nigeria’s representatives in the Caf Champions League –Enugu Rangers and Rivers United – were eliminated in the qualification phase, with the danger of reduced slots for the country next season.