Can return of ex-Super Eagles save NPFL’s blushes?

Across the world, some athletes who made fame and fortune abroad return home in the twilight of their careers to serve as role models to emerging stars. Ex-Super Eagles players, including the certified coaches among them, were also encouraged to take up roles in the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) after a futile search for national team jobs. GOWON AKPODONOR writes on the chances of re-shaping the Nigerian League by players and managers that have so far returned to the domestic league.

English writer and politician, Joseph Addison, once said that his chronic service to humanity was made famous by giving back in cash and kind. This, perhaps, was to pay the society back for all the natural gifts – talents, opportunities, and exposure – it bestowed on him.

In line with Addison’s philosophy, many footballers from South American countries, as well as, some in Europe find joy in going back to their local leagues to spend the last days of their careers in front of those whose adoration helped to propel them to stardom.

These aging returnees not only provide entertainment to their followers, but they also contribute their quota to guiding emerging talents to develop into superstars with their experience and counsel.
Recently, the Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) witnessed the return of players and coaches to the local league after their sojourn abroad.
 
Before now, some players, who could not hit the ground running in Europe returned home to re-launch their careers in the NPFL, but the latest trend is that some players deemed to have had successful careers abroad are returning to light up the local scene.

Among these players are former Super Eagles’ captain, Ahmed Musa, and Abdullahi Shehu, who have made Kano Pillars one of the most followed clubs this season, as well as, Brown Ideye and Junior Lokosa, who have joined Enyimba Football Club of Aba in its quest to return to the continent next season. There is also 2014 World Cup star, Michael Uchebo, who is back in Enugu Rangers.

Musa is on his third stint with Kano Pillars, while Abdullahi is on his second run for the northern giants. It is the first return for Brown Ideye in the NPFL.

These players, who have seen it all in the game playing in some of the big leagues in Europe, are bringing their experiences to lift the local league and also draw the crowd to the stands as it used to be before European football on television stole the local fans away from the stadiums.

Apart from players, some former internationals, who are now certified coaches have taken up the task of coaching local teams to add their experience and knowledge to the growth of the game.

The NPFL Match Day 20 clash of February 2, 2025, at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, Imo State, rekindled old flames with the sweat merchants being part of Nigeria’s Golden Generation.

That encounter pitched former African Footballer of the Year, Emmanuel Amunike, against one of the deadliest wingers from the African continent, George Finidi.

For years, the duo dominated the space playing for the Super Eagles, helping the nation to its second Africa Cup of Nations victory at the Tunisia ‘94 edition before Nigeria’s historic first appearance at the World Cup at the USA ’94, as well as, the Atlanta ’96 Olympics where they won the gold medal.

Their meeting in Owerri on February 2, 2025, was for a different purpose- both were on a mission to secure league points that could boost their clubs’ quest for continental tickets this season.

While Amunike is leading the technical crew of Owerri-based Heartland FC, Finidi plays a similar role at Rivers United.
Amunike had a slow start with Heartland FC in the first stanza of the NPFL but is presently steering the ship to safety, while Finidi is leading the title-chasing Rivers United in the league.
 
Until recently, another member of the “Golden generation of Nigerian football,” Daniel Amokachi was the gaffer at Lobi Stars of Makurdi. But he has left the club owing to irreconcilable differences with the management of the club.

Apart from the coaches, some of the retired players are now in the thick of club management. Two ex-players, Nwankwo Kanu, another prominent member of the class of ’94 Eagles is playing his role as chairman of Enyimba FC of Aba, while Ifeanyi Ekwueme, another former Super Eagle, is the sports director of the country’s most successful club.
 
This development, according to experts, could be the foundation for the return of the Nigerian league to prominence if well managed. Thrilled by the return of ex-Super Eagles stars to the NPFL, U.S.-based former international midfielder, Paul Okoku, a philanthropist, described the development as a step forward for Nigerian football.

“The return of ex-Super Eagles brings hope, and holds the potential to not only rejuvenate the league but also rekindle the passion of fans who yearn for a competitive, high-quality football experience on home soil,” Okoku said. “This initiative is undoubtedly a win-win for the NPFL and Nigeria. The expertise and global experience of these football icons combined with a renewed commitment to fairness and professionalism will create a league that Nigerians can be proud of. With the right structures in place, this marks the beginning of a brighter and more sustainable future for Nigerian football.”

Okoku, a member of the Green Eagles’ squad that grabbed a silver medal at the 1984 Africa Nations Cup, in Cote d’Ivoire, and also the vice-captain of the 1983 class of the Flying Eagles, however, believes that the players’ presence alone cannot make the competition great again as many envisage.

To him, for the ongoing transformation to succeed, the league must uphold the highest standards of integrity.
“For these little gains to make any meaning, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the league managers must ensure that officiating is fair, transparent, and free of any form of bias or favouritism,” Okoku said. “Unnecessary penalties or questionable decisions that favour home teams must be avoided at all costs. Fans need to trust that victories are earned through skill, determination, and merit. This level of transparency and professionalism will restore credibility to the NPFL, encouraging fans to return and support their favourite teams with pride,” he said.

Okoku added that “equally critical is the need to treat these returning legends and their players with the respect they deserve. Timely payment of salaries and adequate support are essential. Additionally, coaches must be empowered to select their players based on merit and team strategy, rather than having players imposed on them by officials with personal agendas. When coaches are given full control and players feel valued, their commitment and performance will elevate the league to new heights,” Okoku stated.

Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Sports, Paul Bassey, in a recent interview, said that clubs sign returning players because they will add their qualities to their team.

Bassey who is the Chairman of Akwa United Football Club said: “I wouldn’t call them returning players because most of them are in the country to keep fit while trying to secure new deals abroad. While in the country, they need to keep fit and remain relevant; so, they look for clubs in the domestic league to join.

“Clubs go for such players and offer them a season-long contract because they believe that the players will add value to the teams. While doing that, they make a lot of sacrifices – reduction in expenses and so on.

“For instance, when we had Juwon Oshaniwa, we discovered that he could add value to the team because he was still in good form. So, we talked to his intermediary and got a season-long deal with him. It allowed him to remain fit and also keep looking for a team abroad but at the end of the season.” He said that these players’ presence in the league attracts fans to the stadiums because they want to watch the big names playing for their teams.

“It happens everywhere in the world. Big-name players attract the fans and thus add value to the league and the economy of the clubs.” Kano Pillars’ Hilary Ikenna, who played for Valletta FC of Slovenia before joining the Kano-based club in 2019, says that playing on artificial surfaces in the domestic league makes it tough for returning players to adapt to the NPFL.

Ikenna said: “The major challenge and difference we usually have when returning to play in Nigeria is the turf. We are mostly used to playing on natural grasses outside the country, but most pitches here in the country are artificial, and that makes it difficult to adjust.
 
“Most of us return to the country to wait for new opportunities in Europe or anywhere else, where the deal will be better than what we have here. The deal we sign here is mostly not long-term so we can leave immediately if any opportunity comes knocking.

“We make a lot of sacrifices because a player who is used to earning much in dollars has to adjust to the irregular and small amount of money coming in from domestic clubs. But I believe that it is always good for players to return to play in the country when they are out of contract rather than waste their time in Europe waiting for new opportunities.”

The proprietor of Cable Football Academy, Coach Edwin Onovwotafe thinks that the return of the likes of Amunike, Amokachi, and Finidi could enhance the performance of the NPFL clubs in continental competitions.

“I feel the return of these legends should be celebrated,” Onovwotafe, told The Guardian, adding: “Their contributions to the league will be far more measurable and significant than those of players like Ahmed Musa and Brown Ideye, who, despite their international experience, can only influence the game at their club level, for now. This is because, at the end of the day, coaches will be judged by performance, unlike the players.”

“Unlike in the past, fans going to the stadium can look up to a coach with a rich football history dishing out instructions from the bench. As one of the biggest followers of the Nigerian league at the moment, every week, I pay my way to different venues to watch matches. Since the return of Amunike, Amokachi, and Finidi, my enthusiasm has increased. More fans have also joined because we believe their return will enhance the discovery of more homegrown talents—and, by extension, impact their chances of landing bigger opportunities apart from making the national teams,” Onovwotafe stated.

Finidi’s track record is already promising. The last time he managed a team in the NPFL, Enyimba FC, he went on to win the league title in June 2023. Given his previous success, the odds are high that he could replicate this achievement with Rivers United.

“Players only impact part of the game, but managers like Finidi, Amunike, and Amokachi are responsible for the entirety of the clubs,” Onovwotafe said. “They are responsible for how their team plays, the strategies they employ, and ultimately, the outcome of each match.

“Their decisions on team structure, game plans, and player management are critical, and the results rest heavily on their ability to get it right. Their vast experience, coupled with their ability to adapt, is what will set them apart from other coaches in the NPFL this season,” he stated.

On the returning players, Onovwotafe said their influence would lie in the immeasurable qualities that they bring to the NPFL, including leadership, professionalism, and a deep understanding of the game that goes far beyond statistics.

“Ahmed Musa, Shehu Abdullahi, and Brown Ideye played across multiple continents, and I feel their presence in the NPFL will add a level of understanding and tactical insight that can only come from years of competing at the highest levels,” Onovwotafe said.

“As an attacker, Ahmed Musa brings a dynamic edge to Kano Pillars and we have seen his contributions since he joined the club. Shehu Abdullahi’s role as a defender adds stability to their backline. Brown Ideye is also pulling his weight with Enyimba FC.

“Their vast experiences, which include representing Nigeria at the World Cup and playing for clubs with high stakes in Europe and beyond, will surely sharpen their game awareness and ability to perform under pressure. Their presence will elevate the attack, allowing the team to build plays with confidence, knowing they have a player capable of finishing chances or creating them for others. These are qualities Kano Pillars and Enyimba FC stand to benefit from,” Onovwotafe stated.