Nigerian clubs not ready for continental football – Ideye

Super Eagles striker Brown Ideye has expressed concern over the deteriorating state of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), describing it as “getting worse.” The 36-year-old forward, who rejoined Enyimba in December 2024 for a second spell in the league, returned 17 years after his stint with Ocean Boys of Bayelsa. Sharing his observations since […]

Super Eagles striker Brown Ideye has expressed concern over the deteriorating state of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), describing it as “getting worse.”

The 36-year-old forward, who rejoined Enyimba in December 2024 for a second spell in the league, returned 17 years after his stint with Ocean Boys of Bayelsa.

Sharing his observations since his return, Ideye lamented the lack of progress in the league, stating that it is “not getting better” and still has “a long way to go.”

“The system is getting worse. My time at Enyimba has been wonderful but there are a lot of things in the league that need to improve,” he said.

Ideye scored for Enyimba in the club’s lone win in the group stage of the 2024/25 CAF Confederation Cup. Enyimba were the last Nigerian club on the continent, but they crashed out in the group stage with five points from a possible 18.

Ideye criticised the team’s arrangement for the continental games, adding that “Nigerians and the clubs are not ready for continental football”.

“In terms of travelling, it’s bad, in terms of feeding, it’s bad, in terms of the hotel and helping the players to relax, it’s all bad.

“Nigerians and the clubs are not ready for continental football. I feel we should put our house together before we can play continental football instead of going there to disgrace ourselves,” he said.