Proprietor of Remo Stars and Beyond Limits Football Clubs, Kunle Soname, has charged coaches and media officers, who participated in the just-concluded Nigerian National League (NNL) workshop/seminar for coaches and media officers of clubs in the league to be good ambassadors of the league by discharging their duties in the best possible ways.

Specifically, Soname told the coaches that they could change the face of the league by training their players well, while he informed the media officers that the type of publicity they give to the league determines the type of reception the competition gets from football followers across the world.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the seminar, which was held at Remo Sports Complex, Ikenne, Ogun State, said the 2023/24 season was the best in the history of the second-tier league, adding that the NNL has shown that Nigerian football could be well managed by Nigerians.

He said: “I know what happens in the NNL because I have had a team there for more than six years, and I am proud to say that last year’s NNL was the best organised since I started associating with the league.

“The NNL chairman has been wonderful, and I want to say that he has been selfless. It was simply unprecedented for a team to win four away games and nothing happened to them because the league board has been firm in implementing the rules.”

He charged the league board to continue to work towards improving the competition, saying: “You have brought the league to a certain level and there should only be a next level and everybody must work to achieve that next level.

“It is not by accident that out of eight quarterfinals in the Federation Cup last season, five came from the NNL. They have some of the best coaches in the country, and there is no reason why the league should not continue growing in stature.”

“The foreign leagues are spectacular and it is the media that makes them spectacular. The media hypes the league and players to attract support.

“We have to work hard to achieve that level of publicity to make the league as attractive as the foreign leagues.”

Earlier at the closing ceremony, NNL Chairman, George Aluo, presented an award to Soname for his exemplary contribution to Nigeria’s football development, while NNL board member, Dr Donald Ikpe, presented a certificate of participation to the various coaches and media managers.