Former Super Eagles’ defender, Pastor Taribo West is rating his country’s domestic football championship, Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), very low, with a verdict that the best players will keep leaving in order to get better trappings elsewhere.
‘The Trojan’ made his comments against the backdrop of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president, Melvin Amaju Pinnick mocking leagues in countries like Vietnam, Singapore and Asia, which the soccer boss believes cannot promote the quality of Nigerian players for the future.
Rather than back the verdict Pinnick gave last week while addressing the array of NPFL players that were selected to prosecute an international friendly against Mexico in Los Angeles, USA, which they eventually lost 4-0, Taribo stressed that the Nigerian lague leaves much to be desired.
Megasportsarena.com eports that, while Pinnick, who is also a FIFA Council member, labeled teams in most Asian countries as ‘mushroom clubs’ and threatened that he will only approve an International Transfer Certificate (ITC) to top European clubs, Taribo opined otherwise.
The former had-tackling defender, who cut hit football teeth playing for Julius Berge FC of Lagos, before he ventured out to AJ Auxerre of France, then ended up with AC Milan and Inter Milan of Italy as well as Partizan Belgrade of Serbia, noted that poor payment is a huge problem in the NPFL.
Taribo, who was part of Nigeria’s gold medal-winning team at Atlanta ’96 Olympic Games and at the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan, told BBC Sport Africa: “You cannot keep people against their will in a league that doesn’t respect them, pay them, protect them or care about their welfare..
“Such comments from the head of Nigerian football are insensitive and embarrassing. Instead of improving and focusing on developing the structures around the league, you’re dictating to adults where and how to earn a living.
“His league does not pay footballers and contracts to protect the lives of footballers. He doesn’t have any power to prevent any footballer who has access to move to those clubs he described as small leagues or ‘mushroom clubs.’ Right now there are no small countries in football.”
