₦airaland Forum

[b]
RE: GLOBACOM PULLS OUT OF NIGERIA FOOTBALL LEAGUE.
I read in the newspaper just of recent that Globacom has pulled out of Nigeria league sponsorship, claiming that they don’t seems to get the kind of leverage they would have wanted, but it is true, do we blame them, infact to me they are one of the "biggest father xmas" I have ever seen as a corporate entity in my entire life. Although the timing might be wrong for their action, but the truth is that it is their money and more so their reason is so genuine. They are not a "father xmas" and so if they are not getting the desired leverage then I do not think they need to continue "investing" in the league.

Ever since I have been written article about the league, I knew something is going to happen, but I cannot really say whether it will be positive or negative, it is kinda sad, and I really feel for NPL, but Globacom is right, I knew with the "slow pace" development of the league, with bad, and epileptic TV coverage (save for Supersport), corruption, and bad attitude by some of the league administrators, things will definitely go awkward. I know Globacom would have love to see at least 70% of all the matches on TV, matches that is being played on good pitches, with good officiating and generally a good brand coming from the league, but alas it was not so. I have written in my past article the only solution to this. (Read up from www.fmbaba..com).

NPL need to as a matter of urgency revisit their earlier plan to use only the Nigeria 2009 stadia, and some other three( Warri stadium, Yenegoa, Porthacourt, and M.K.O Abiola stadium, in Ogun state), making 12 altogether. The greatest leverage they can put on the league is to put all the matches every week on television, (it is possible, I have taken time to write on that in my earlier article posted on my blog). They (NPL) needs to be proactive on this instead of them to wait for one "father xmas" or a "maga, mugu"(word use in a local parlance here), they just have to get their head thinking, and probably "begging" (e.g. NTA, AIT), to give them OB vans and all other things they need, and also get a good Production team/company, or probably Supersport, all because they are better off than NTA(which is a known fact) to produce all the league matches. Transmission will not be the problem, there are so many TV station that needs content, and with their (TV stations) Networks and popularity among the viewing audience, it won’t take long that people will begin to appreciate the league, identify with it, from there, business will start building up, and at the end, a vibrant industry would have been added to Nigeria economy thereby providing employment opportunities, foreign direct investment and all other goodies.

The best way to "brand" the league, and also attract "right" investors (not "peanuts" sponsors), is to play matches on good pitches, and also put the entire league on television. After all the English premier league that the board claim to be understudying started like this in the late 90s, even when some of their pitches are bad, but they still keep at it, and now today it is the most glamorous league in the world. A stitch in time saves nine.

For Globacom, thanks for doing "business" and for "enriching" some peoples pocket (both in cash and kind) in NPL. And for the board, sorry for the loss, I hope they will learn a great lesson, this challenge will spur them on to do the right thing at the right time and stop sitting back and be expecting any "father xmas" (maga/mugu) that will do their job for them.

God help us.
Fapohunda olufemi John
[color=#990000]www.fmbaba..com
08066920770
[/b]

[b]Reasons why Nigeria league is a lot better off in Africa
Competitiveness ------If you take time to watch the league, (look beyond the problems like bad pitches, harsh whether condition, lack of motivation and all other psychological factors) you will agree with me that the league is more competitive. Imagine this coming season top teams commming to the league, Enyimba 3sc, Enyimba Kwara Utd, Enyimba Sharks Enyimba Dolphns , et al, tough matches dont you think? In Nigeria i can count top 8 teams, ts not even like England where you only talk of the first 4 and the rest second class, and third class "citizen" respectively.
we shld learn to appreciate what we have, and strive hard to take it to a greater hight. Thats why we need to begin to take interest in this Nigerian football, cuz its is the future of our national teams, i'll tell you a simple truth, i do not fancy Nigeria going to the world cup in 2010, let us look inward, imagine Spain, Italy, Brazil, Argentina, Go check up their league thats why the "foreign based" in these aforementioned countries always feel "threatened" whenever there is a National teams Football matches and you see them rushing home because there are capable "home based" replacement for them.
We need to developed to that status, that way we'll be winning in several ways,
(1) (good football league will bring about better infrastructural facilities,(so we wont be having problems when we want to host any FIFA, CAF tournaments like we are having now)
(2)Source of employment,----- i know Nigerian football league can "mop -up" nothing less than 40% of the jobless youth in Nigeria today.
(3) Foreign direct investment---- Ready made example is England, imagine how much Abramovich has sunk into England, and also The Man city owner. And who say it cant happen here in Nigeria?, what we dont picture we can never feature in it. so let picture it and let us begin to work towards it in our own corner, in the place of prayer and also newspaper publications, and i know one day God will hear our prayer and things will begin to change for better.
It is here in Nigeria that some of our Administrators/leaders, are just too myopic to see and picture a better future for us.
We're having Power supply problems now cuz at a point in time some of our leaders failed to think that in some years to come (now) the present power generation (then) will not be sufficient, and see the problem its causing us now same goes to Infrastructures. Simply put our fathers have failed us woefully, but we the youth coming up now, we should not do things the way they did, we should stop complaining and get to work, lets get to fix Nigeria so that the generation coming after us will have a better Nigeria and we will definitely become an instant heroes
Nigeria Good people Great Nation

www.fmbaba.lefora.com[/b]

[b]THE Lagos State government is to use Sunday’s Federation Cup final match between Sharks FC of Port Harcourt and Enyimba FC of Aba to test run the Teslim Balogun Stadium ahead of this year’s FIFA U-17 World Cup to be hosted by the country.

The stadium is one of the centres selected by the world football-governing body, FIFA, to host matches of the cadet World Cup.

Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday in Lagos, the state Commissioner for Sports, Prince Ademola Adeniji-Adele, said the government wanted to use the final match to showcase to the world the facilities on ground for the U-17 World Cup.

He announced that telecomminucation company, MTN Nigeria, would support the state in hosting the final, adding that the state had contacted Africa Independent Television (AIT) and SuperSports to televise the match live.

Adeniji-Adele added that the state had also agreed to host next year’s final of the Federation Cup, expressing appreciation to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for given the state the opportunity to host the event.

He informed that spectators would have to park their vehicles at the National Stadium to avoid congestion at the match venue, adding that BRT buses would be available for commuters to ease transportation problem, while match tickets would not be sold at the stadium.[/b]