Amokachi blames LMC calendar for continental failures

The special assistant on sports to President Muhammadu Buhari, Daniel Amokachi has said the irregular football league calendar is responsible for Nigeria’s recent continental woes. He made this assertion on the sidelines of the Presidential Pre-Season Cup 2021 at the renovated MKO Abiola Stadium on Friday. It will be noted that the League Management Company […]

The special assistant on sports to President Muhammadu Buhari, Daniel Amokachi has said the irregular football league calendar is responsible for Nigeria’s recent continental woes.

He made this assertion on the sidelines of the Presidential Pre-Season Cup 2021 at the renovated MKO Abiola Stadium on Friday.

It will be noted that the League Management Company (LMC) is responsible for the organization of the Nigeria Professional Football League.

“I think it is not the football, it is the calendar. When the rest of Africa is playing, we are on holiday. When we are on holiday, how can we compete with teams that are already in the seasons? We all know our problem is funds and football is not business in Nigeria,” he said.

He further said it was only proper to test run the stadium after it was handed to the federal government with premiership football.

He further said a Super 6 tournament was planned but the paucity of funds made the organizer settle for a four-team preseason tournament.

“I think it’s very simple. For the contractor to hand over the stadium to us, the federal government decided to put it to test and the only teams we could bring is the premiership teams.

“We planned for a super 6 but lack of funds made us cut it to 4 teams. The most important coming back to life. The stadium has been dead for over 10 years,” he said.

NPFL champions, Akwa United, Kano Pillars, Sunshine Stars and Lobi Stars are the four teams participating in the tournament which began on Friday and will end today.