Enemies of Nigerian football – Edafe

• the bad management of the NPFL in 41 tweets

Edafe Eseoghene a former player for Sharks and Eagles Cement took to his twitter space to express his displeasures in the way the Club Chairmen and administrators are handling the teams of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL). His tweets were monitored by Ediale Kingsley.

1.    I’m not tweeting to reign on anyone’s parade but at the same time, lip service and praise singing would do us absolutely no good. The ineptitude of our #NPFL club chairmen is hurting our economy and digging a lot of you guys out there into the grave of poverty. Stop defending them.

2.    They all just want LMC to practically do everything, pay money into their accounts and then spend. If not for LMC rules, some clubs would still not have corporate accounts with any banks in a professional league. Watin we be self?

3.    This is a simple structural thing; nobody is saying win the league after all only one team would win it. Set up the club in such a way that at least you can sell players to European teams and make money for the team. Why do you think the @LMCNPFL took them for the Spain tour?

4.    I am not saying all these theories would be accomplished overnight without hard-work but like @akinalabi would say if you are willing to put in the hard-work, stay committed and show some financial discipline, I swear by anything that you will control your own luck in football.

5.    If a non-league side like 36 lion FC, Nath boy FC, FC Ebiede and others can be milking the international transfer market without viable football videos of competitive games of their players, you are the chairman of an #NPFL club u are talking of food and taking youths off streets.

6.    In 2015/16 Bayern Munich made 102 million euro from matchday income alone. 148 million euro from broadcasting income. 342 million euro from commercial income.They are not taking youths off the streets to feed them twice a day. They are running a great business through football.

7.    The fruits of a tree might be the ultimate end goal in a farm but a great farmer would tell you that it all starts with the soil type, the P.H level of the water and the depth of the roots, the stem, sunlight and even wind. Data is king in sports but in the #NPFL ignorance is a god (or gold).

8.    The most powerful tool in any sport today is data. Data is drawn from analytics. Look at brands and how they distribute adverts and sponsorship etc. It is through analytics built out of available data. You can’t make headway without data, your players are shit without data.

9.    In the list of jobs trapped in the #NPFL, I didn’t even mention marketing, merchandising, hospitality, traveling and the big one, sports tourism in the future plus the attendant unity and excitement plus goodwill that comes with it. Add endorsement somewhere there.

10.    Sports is business plain and simple, the economy would never be suitable for those who want to be lazy, some years ago the banks were on the verge of collapse but a bold move by a few good men led to bank consolidations. Today banks change ownership but your monies are safe.

11.    Even people selling plantain chips understand what packaging is, that is how 10 naira kpekere turn 100 naira chips from the same plantain. Our #NPFL club chairmen want to make the plantain (players) stay as kpekere forever but they want chips money. No be mumu be that?

12.    I have seen club chairmen in Nigeria who would sign ownership of their clubs players to outsiders so that when the player transfers to foreign clubs they prefer to get cut from the outsider instead of the club making money. When you speak they want to report me to my boss.

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13.    That expensive trip to Spain that the LMC and La-Liga put together was not for the jamboree, but some people just went there for sightseeing and eating free foods in the hotel. Some did not even come back with a single phone number or plans for the technical or tactical exchange.

14.    Somebody is the chairman of @EnyimbaFC now for more than 15 years, that’s almost the same number of years Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola have spent in coaching, let’s not add grandpa Wenger. That club does not have a proper structure or the hope of having it. Hisssssssssssssssssss!!!

15.    If $1m is equivalent to 360m naira, as a club administrator in the #NPFL is to make sure we sell at least 4 players in the transfer window to earn that money for a starter. Gradually grow that exchange value. The way to make that is to make the players larger than life every year.

16.    Between 2016 to 2019 the English Premier League earns over 3 billion pounds from overseas TV rights buyers. This same league was crap in the 80’s and unmarketable. Think about the importance of 3 billion pounds again.

17.    I make bold to say this “no matter the scarcity in the jungle, the lion would not become a vegetarian” I am not making all these tweets because I’m broke or hungry, the truth is some of those trying to defend these mediocre way need the opportunity more than me or @biolakazeem.

18.    The other day a sports council official asked @DukeUdi to step aside. What nonsense, that same ODSFA have not paid their worker for over 20 months. You create an environment that makes coaches angry and aggressive yet you talk of disrespect. Respect is something you earn.

19.    I know the countless number of young people that have said they want to be soccer coaches but when you look at that graveyard called NIS, you know we are hopeless plus the fact that even if they manage to get the certificate, where is the organized team to work with?

20.    Jobs that are trapped in the #NPFL right now that are yet to be unlocked: Graphics Stewardship, Security, Sports Medicine, Reseach Lab, Sports Hospital, Sports Science & Analysis School, Data & Statistics School, Brand Mgt Company, Coaching School & More, Designers, Stadium & Grounds Mgt.

21.    Do you think I feel comfortable talking European football? It is the lack of activities from the #NPFL clubs that has handicapped us all. Look at the number of contents Skysports have built around the Premier League. The employment and earning power.

22.    Some clowns think I’m shaking tables, what they fail to realize is that a well-run #NPFL and properly managed clubs would increase their own earning power to between 500-1000%. Like @biolakazeem clear stated, if you know the billions & jobs trapped in the NPFL, you’ll cry blood.

23.    The economy is not good but musicians, comedians, and movie makers are shattering records but our lazy #NPFL chairmen are making excuses. Last year or so @NairaBET and Phyno packed the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium. Good product and packaging. It’s not about the economy but creativity.

24.    The funny thing is, these club administrators who are looking for pennies to steal would have more than 7 digit salaries to themselves if they put in the work to get it right. I prefer a thriving #NPFL to the Super Eagles winning the World Cup, any day.

25.    When I consider the works, effort and plans that the @LMCNPFL always knit together to upgrade club football and then the caveman-like reciprocal returns from the club administrators, my heart bleeds. Not even the so-called private clubs. I almost took @bukolasaraki’s ABS serious.

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26.    In 2yrs, because of the consistency of my small transactions, banks are willing to offer me X amount as credit facility whenever I need it but a massive club like @EnyimbaFC cannot access facility to upgrade its stadium. Yet they have a board running the club. I hate getting mad.

27.    In 2018 a club chairman still scrambles for inflated hotel bills and feeding for away match. The biggest club in Nigeria cannot get a bank to guarantee common grassing of its stadium. That tells me that in the last 10 years @EnyimbaFC have no transaction record with banks.

28.    Football is war, it is a real battle that is fought on the field, in the boardroom, psychologically and the brand is so powerful it can break government protocol worldwide. Do you see David Beckham owning an MLS franchise?  That is brand power and DELIBERATE STRATEGY.

29.    Nigeria is yet to transfer a player for one million dollars even with five U17 gold, two U21 silver, one Olympics gold, silver, and bronze. Add two CAF Champions League titles back to back. Taking youths off the streets my foot. I really hate to talk because I get green like Hulk.

30.    Used to have small respect for one sports journalist turn club administrator until he used those words, we are trying to use the team to help youths and feed them twice a day. I looked at him and shook my head that even you are this dumb? I never go near the guy again.

31.    As a nation we are even sick, how come we cannot see the massive earnings football can give us, the worst comments I’ve heard from some dumb idiots are the ones who say “we set up clubs to take youths out of the streets “are you fcuking crazy? Dem pour sawa food for your brain?”

32.    Football talents are like the best of farm produce, they don’t just grow among grasses and bushes. They are planted, nurtured, cultivated and well groomed. In the 80’s & 90’s the half-cast players were fringe players today they are the Messiah. What are we as a nation?

33.    All of the pit-stop that represent the green areas for football development, structure and investment wise from Government to club administrators are filled and occupied by the worse of men and women. No knowledge, no plan, no projection or trajectory for growth. Always luck.

34.    Footballers don’t learn in this part of the world, they think the game is about money, the annoying part is a truckload of them finish playing this game and 10 years tops they are as broke as Somalian rats. Take this gift to the zenith class, not just the money and mediocrity class.

35.    Only South American teams can win the world cup in the absence of solid domestic football players dominating their national teams because their footballing exports are the creme de la creme of the game. African players are at best club lions and country cats. Seasonal goods.

36.    If every #NPFL club develops a de-worming program in partnership with the ministry of health and education in their states, do you know how many generic future fans they would have planted into their future?

37.    Brands spend money on contents and influencers that are not known outside Lagos, think about projecting an Mfon Udoh that is a national brand or the new one Junior Lokosa. Is that not where the term image right came from?

38.    Not everything needs internal spending, if the clubs show honesty and a purpose-driven plan to get things right with the right trajectory, they have a good ally in the LMC, they would support and even point funders in their directions.

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39.    I accept the constraint with government and funding but if that constraint doesn’t stop you from carrying extra big ass women to away matches and their friends; it shouldn’t stop you from doing the little-needed innovations to grow the product.

40.    After the visit to Spain, I thought by now our #NPFL chairmen would deemphasize the focus on themselves and try to put the spotlight on the players and coaches for brand purposes, after all, you don’t transfer chairmen but players.

41.    The #NPFL clubs should at least milk that LMC/Laliga partnership to yield strategic partnership in the are of research, training of coaches as well as medical teams. Not forgetting data and statistics units.

Edafe Eseoghene is a former Sports Analyst and On Air Personality for Brila FM and Hi-Media Limited (HiTV).  At some point in his career he was Babanawa Football Club’s soccer manager.  In his playing days he handled midfield position for Eagle Cement, Sharks F.C and also had some active time in Europe before his injury. Edafe studied Mechanical Engineering at University of Port Harcourt. Today, the Warri-born is the CEO of Elegbete TV and an independent producer of Winners Golden Bet Sports Show.