Elegbeleye Opens up on IMC’s Visions ahead of the New NPFL Season

The Chairman of the nation’s Interim Management Committee (IMC), Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye has made it clear that the main concern of the league body ahead of the new Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) season scheduled to kick off January 8 is the welfare of players.

Elegbeleye hinted at the weekend that IMC’s vision is to see that players earn well, a situation that would see them remain at home instead of rushing to play in obscure countries.

He promised that the league body would ensure a violence-free atmosphere at all venues where the safety of fans and officiating officials would be guaranteed.

“We are out to change the narrative of the league. Our main concern and focus is the welfare of the players. We also want to see them earn well…good salary package while plying their trade at home.

“The era when players earned peanut would soon end. The present salary structure in the domestic league is nothing to write home about. This is the reason why they go to obscure countries to play for more money. That has to stop in the next one or two seasons once we put the right structures in place.

“And as I said, we are going to ensure all the league venues are safe and TV friendly because we are going to get the matches back on television,” Elegbeleye said.

The IMC Chairman who is a former Director General of the defunct National Sports Commission (NSC) said: “On the whole, we are looking at the bigger picture in which every stakeholder involved in the league would benefit. We have to make the league better and solid on all fronts.”

He also expressed confidence that the 2023 season would kick off as scheduled on January 8, insisting that it is in the best interest of all for the season to be an abridged league.