Babangida excited over away victories recorded in NPFL

Former International, Tijani Babangida, is excited following some away wins recorded in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL). He said the ability of clubs to grab victories away from home shows that the Nigerian league is in tune with what is obtainable in well organised league around the world, especially in Europe.

Mountain of Fire and Miracles Football Club, Plateau United, Wikki Tourists are some of the clubs that have recorded victories in their away fixtures at the end of Match Day Four of the NPFL, and Babangida stated that if the trend continued, the NPFL would end up attaining a better reputation of a well organized league.

Speaking with The Guardian yesterday, Babangida stated that the number of away victories recorded in week four of the NPFL was a clear departure from the ‘must win at home’ matches syndrome.

“The results of the league so far have been okay. This is what we expect from league matches. And the League Management Company (LMC) must also ensure that the visiting clubs get good security right from the beginning of the league to the end.

“My fear is that as time goes on, it might turn out to be another story just as we are used to. But I hope the league will continue the way it has started and end well. At the end of the day, we too can beat our chest that we had an orgainsed league,” he said.

The former Ajax Amsterdam player, who spoke on the situation of the NPFL players not being invited to the Super Eagles mainstream team, said it was only when the NPFL players play in the continental club championship, CHAN, and U-23 tournament that they get noticed by the Super Eagles coaches because of the state of the country’s league.

“Our national teams at the moment are populated by professionals from Europe but coaches like the late Stephen Keshi, Samson Siasia and others have tried to mix them up with the local players.

“But for Coach Gernot Rohr, he has not given the local players the opportunity we would have expected. I think the avenue where the national coaches may be opportune to watch the NPFL players is when they are playing in the club continental tournament.

“The national team coaches also sort out for players during the CHAN qualifiers and the U-23 AFCON tournament where some of them can be selected and add to the Eagles. But the NPFL players have not performed this term at these tournaments. Even clubs currently playing on the continent have not done well. But I still expect that one or two players in the clubs’ continental championship can be considered for the Super Eagles,” he said.