Waidi Akani Advocates Sustenance of Abridged League for 2 More Years

Kunle Adewale

Though the Interim Management  Committee, IMC, has insisted that come August, the Nigeria Premier League, NPL will kick off with the 38-match format, former Chairman of the Lagos State Football Association, LSFA, Waidi Akani is of the opinion that with the success of the Super Six, those managing the league should continue with the Abridged League for two years at least, to sustain the momentum of the playoffs witnessed at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos.

In a chat with THISDAY at the conclusion of the Super Six, the former Nigeria international expressed that the arrangement should be maintained for now.

“I think the Super Six should be repeated for the Nigeria Premier League to get its momentum back. The nine days of the Playoffs was a huge success, which brought back memories of what our league used to be.

“ l am in support of the Abridged League because it saved the clubs from many travels that they would have embarked upon with the 38-match format, considering the fact that most of the clubs are not buoyant enough to travel by air on a weekly basis. Moreover, with the security situation in the country it is not even advisable to the clubs to travel by road and this is what the Abridged League has helped to reduced “ Akani said.

Continuing, the former defunct NEPA FC of Lagos midfielder said a 38-match league format could not have attracted the kind of crowd witnessed during the Super Six.

“You cannot have a 38-match format and see such a crowd that we saw at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena on Sunday. Are we ready to televise the 38 matches on television? For me, I will suggest that we maintain the Abridged League for two or three years till the league starts attracting sponsors then we can go back to the conventional format,” the Yaba College of Technology engineering graduate opined.

“Also looking at it from the financial aspect, the Abridged League will also save those running the league and even the clubs of some expenses. Aside from bringing fans back to the stadium, there was a sense of togetherness that has not been seen in our football during the playoffs in Lagos,” he noted.

On the issue of home-based players not being invited to the Super Eagles, he reacted thus:” You cannot force a national team coach to invite players from the local league if they don’t meet with the standard of what he wanted. But the handlers of our national teams should endeavour to watch top matches in our league, and no matter what they would still see good defenders and goalkeepers that would make the national team,” he expressed.