Sports
Our Targets Is to Have Best NPL in Africa-Elegbeleye reiterates
…Promises more improvement
Joel Ajayi
The Chairman of Interim Management committee IMC Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye has reiterated that the target of the committee is to ensure that Nigeria Premier League NPL rated among the best leagues in the continent of Africa.
The IMC Chairman lamented that the Nigeria league is currently not among the 10 best leagues in Africa that is why the league management is working day and night to ensure the loss glory of the NPL is restored.
Speaking on Wednesday in Abuja during the performance appraisal of the season for the league, Hon Elegbeleye said there must be serious discipline to experience the growth of Nigerian League.
According to him, our desire, our aim is to have the best league in the continent of Africa.
The reason for the emergence of the IMC is as a result of failure of old system, if you check the latest CAF ranking domestic league in Africa, Nigeria is not among the best 10 league country in Africa, a country with about 200 million people, the largest country in Africa in terms of population, the largest exports of footballer in Africa is not part of the first 10 there must be something wrong.
“Owing officials has not been the case with the new committee as we pay on time, we increased their emoluments by 50% Transport allowance by 40% and again where ever they go to officiate all these allowances paid a day before the match, so we wouldn’t have the reasons to owe Referees like they did in the past, where Referees have been owed three years.
“Secondly, when they go to officiate, despite all these increments in their emoluments and transport allowance, we paid for their accommodation, and still pay for their feeding anywhere they go.
“Not only that, make sure that there is prompt punishment for any club that causes trouble during the game by deducting 3 points, all those actions are the reason behind the league improvement and we will not relent our effort to ensure NPL rank the best in Africa.”
The Former National Sports Commission Director General then called on all stakeholders for the moral support of the citizenry to make the aspirations of the IMC come true for the NPL.
Sports
FCT FA Board Member Urges Grassroots Reform, Hopeful For Super Eagles World Cup Qualification
Legal Practitioner And Administrator Barr Bucknor Threatens To Petition FCT Minister Over Abandoned Stadiums
Despite Nigeria’s precarious position in the race for a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Barrister Babatunde Burknor, a board member of the FCT Football Association (FA), remains hopeful that the Super Eagles can still secure qualification.
Nigeria currently sits third in their qualification group with 11 points from 8 matches, trailing Benin Republic and South Africa, who both lead with 14 points. Yet Burknor, a seasoned football administrator and grassroots sports advocate, believes all is not lost.
In a recent interview made available to BSN Sports, Burknor said: “Nigeria’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup may appear almost impossible, but that doesn’t mean it is out of reach. The situation is tough, yes, but looking at the quality of players in our squad, I still believe we can make it.”
He added that unexpected results from other group rivals could work in Nigeria’s favour.
“Football is unpredictable. There is still a chance that South Africa, Benin Republic, or Rwanda could drop points. If we win our remaining two games, we still stand a chance. Sometimes football reflects life where the strong may fall while the seemingly weak stand tall.”
Calls for Grassroots Reform in the FCT
Beyond national team concerns, Burknor also used the opportunity to address the state of sports development in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), urging the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to take concrete action to revamp local infrastructure.
“We have deep-rooted problems when it comes to grassroots sports. The major issue is a lack of funding and commitment from those charged with driving development at that level,” he said.
Burknor lamented the disappearance of once-thriving youth competitions like the Chairman’s Cup, Principal’s Cup, and Shell Cup, stating that such events played a crucial role in identifying and nurturing young talent.
“It’s disheartening that these programs are no longer active. Development is impossible without facilities, yet we lack even basic training grounds.”
The legal luminary revealed that he personally upgraded the sports facility at a government secondary school in his area to serve as a makeshift training centre, due to the absence of a functioning local stadium.
He is currently drafting a petition to Minister Wike, over abandoned stadiums in FCT, urging a comprehensive audit of officials responsible for sports development across the six Area Councils of the FCT.
Progress in Gwagwalada Football Development
As Vice Chairman of the Gwagwalada Football Council, Burknor highlighted the success of the Gwagwalada Football League, which has become a model for other Area Councils.
“In just two years, we’ve turned the Gwagwalada Football League into a success story. Several players from the league have already secured contracts in Europe. This shows what can be achieved with vision and consistency.”
Barrister Burknor, emphasized that grassroots football holds the key to Nigeria’s long-term football success and must be taken seriously.
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