Okocha calls for NPFL proper management to attract investors

Former Super Eagles captain, Austin Jay Jay Okocha has reiterated his call for proper management of the Nigerian league to make it attractive to investors. Okocha said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Lagos. The mercurial midfielder, who started his journey to stardom in football with Rangers International […]

Former Super Eagles captain, Austin Jay Jay Okocha has reiterated his call for proper management of the Nigerian league to make it attractive to investors.

Okocha said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Lagos.

The mercurial midfielder, who started his journey to stardom in football with Rangers International FC in 1990, said he had earlier expressed an honest opinion about the Nigerian league being a less-fancied league.

Recall that Okocha in a recent interview with the local media in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sept.1, said he would rather watch English Premier League than the Nigerian league, an opinion which generated some backlash.

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“My position on NPFL stands. One thing that is for sure is that there is no shortage of talents in Nigeria, the only difference is management and putting structures in place.

“I don’t want to own a club, I would have loved to. But the question is, how will I function when I know that I will struggle to win away matches, knowing that those games won’t be televised?” he asked.

Explaining further Okocha said: “It hurts to see that the efforts that we have put in those years have not been built on.

“We need to make our stadia conducive to watch matches and not people being harassed; we should make sure that we are having the right results and not that home teams must win at all cost.

“I made the statement because of anger, because I cannot be at home in Nigeria and won’t be able to watch matches. I desire to go and inspire other players,” he said.