Matchday 31 of the Nigeria Premier Football League came with drama, goals and that beauty from Ahmed Musa in Kano. But I am not going to talk about any incident particularly from the matchday but I have my random thoughts.
With 7 games left to the played, we are definitely in the “business end” of the season. A lot of drama is expected; goals, comebacks and antics.
In my random thoughts, I came up with this:
Going forward,
We cannot say that we are playing a professional league, live on TV and a coach or an official will order his team out at will because a call did not go in their favour. There should be consequences, to restore the little dignity left of the game.
The NPFL should re-asses what constitutes disruption of a game and sanction erring officials.
With our games now on TV (propel), the league should not fold its hands and watch teams bring the league to disrepute by unnecessary disruptions to the game.
The league must emphasize proper channels for complaints.
Teams walking out and returning at will is absurd and should be curtailed.
The NPFL must also re-assess who has access to the bench and the technical area of clubs. With more sporting directors emerging and more pseudo chairman roles being assigned, the league must protect itself from the seeming overbearing powers of these men manning these roles.
For club chairmen/GM’s, there should also be measures to put them in check.
The NPFL must also redefine what hospitality means and what hostility means and match commissioners must ensure that away teams are safe and are allowed proper use of the facilities as deemed statutory.
Sitting arrangements in shared zones must be defined and the away sides protected.
“An eye for an eye ends up making the world blind.” Clubs must therefore discard the “do me I do you” mentality. Hence, NPFL should note where there could be possible reprisals and move on time to forestall a breakdown of order.
There should also be ways to checkmate away teams who pass boundaries and cause trouble, in the end the NPFL rules that the home side failed to “provide adequate security.” The match commissioner should report rabble rousers in the away team, as their actions may rile the home fans.
In case of chaos at the match center, can we be holistic in investigation and sanctions? Riling up an opponent should also be punishable by the regulations.
The league should at this point raise a memo to the clubs, read the “riot act” as it were. These memos could be specific according to the peculiarities of each club.
We should not have an administrator who is feared, not for his pedigree but because ‘he no de gree.’
With the league now into the time where every club is desperate, the NPFL must plan for this desperation.
This is our league and we must protect it with our collective will.