Former Nigerian footballer, Victor Ezeji has said that privatising Nigeria premier league clubs could help with the development of the football in the country. The 42 year old said that there are too many issues with the league, ranging from the fans, the club administrators, the referees and even the players.
Ezeji highlighted that Sporting Lagos and Doma United are evidences of what privatisation can do, and it could help a lot. He mentioned that private investors are result driven and that could be an advantage going forward.
In his exact words, Ezeji said:
“The league has so many problems to be very honest with you so many problems the new board being headed by Honorable Gbenga Elegbeleye they are doing their best you know but it doesn’t just lie on their desk. The administrators, they have their own problems as well. The referees, they have their own problems. The fans have their own problems. Even the players have their own problems. You know, I’ve seen where a player is asking a team manager if they have settled the referee”.
“So it tells us we have a very long way to go. But I believe if they continue the way they are going, we might hit somewhere. And I also believe that if private entities can come in, which is very difficult, but because nobody goes to the market to buy rotten meat by themselves, nobody does that. You know, but I think about the way they are sanitizing the league and they are coming now. In no time we will see them coming and look at what’s happening”.
“Look at what Sporting Lagos and Doma is doing. These are the kind of things we want to see. You know, because these other people, their main aim is to win a trophy that they want to hand over to their governor. That is just the only thing they are doing. So whichever way they want to win it, they don’t care. That is one of the major problems that we have. So whichever way they want to win it, their only job is to hand over the trophy to their governor”.
“In the real sense, that’s why when they go to the continent. Before you know it, they are back to where they came from. So we need to change the mentality of our fans, especially. I’ve seen in games where somebody will be shouting ‘for our home ?’ What does that mean? If your team is not playing well, and they are being beaten, you let them go”.
“A referee would come to a match, maybe they want to induce him, he says no. Before you know, they take it to the area boys, that he has collected money from the away team, that’s why he’s not collecting from here. But this is a referee that came with his clear heart to do something. All manner of threats starts flying left, right, center. And the referee wants you to go home alive. So, these things have to change. The clubs are not even doing anything to educate their fans because they want to win at all cost”.
