Live broadcast of NPFL matches not enough to drive audience, says Udeze

Super Eagles former defender, Ifeanyi Udeze, believes that the League Management Company (LMC) still has a lot to do to get Nigerians interested in the Nigerian Professional Football League.

Udeze, who said the clamour for the matches to return to television was one part of the actions needed to drive traffic to the league, advised the LMC to also pay attention on the playing surfaces and other modern facilities need to make the matches interesting.

The Korea/Japan 2002 World Cup star believes players in the NPFL have the skills to hold their own against their counterparts in Europe and other continents, saying the quality of the matches will improve tremendously if basic things needed are provided for the games.

The former PAOK of Greece defender said it would amount to waste of efforts if the LMC only concentrated on getting the matches on television without putting in place facilities that will make the games viewer-friendly.

“The recent arrangement by the LMC and a private television station to broadcast the NPFL online next season is a good development, but that on its own is not enough to take the league to a laudable height.

“Showing NPFL on television should not be the central focus. The pitches are also key because they are where the action happens.

“We need to modernise football facilities, make them television friendly and also ensure that adequate health facilities are available at all stadiums. If the NPFL games are broadcast online and the pitches where these footballers play are bad, it will hinder their level of performance, which will in turn affect the interest of the viewers, within and outside the country, on the league.

“Apart from the fans, scouts and sponsors will not get the true picture of the players’ qualities because of the bad facilities they work on.

“That is why the LMC should ensure the pitches and other facilities salutary to the talents of the players,” he said.