Ogenye favours completion of NPFL season

Warri Wolves head coach, Evans Ogenye has thrown his full weight behind the completion of the 2019/20 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season.

The NPFL has not played any fixtures since mid-March no thanks to the novel coronavirus pandemic and has 13 matches to play to conclude the campaign.

Ogenye averred that ending the top-flight abruptly due to the global health crisis will negatively affect the credibility and pedigree of the domestic league.

“If the NPFL ends as it is at the moment due to coronavirus crisis it won’t be a good development for us and the league itself. It will impinge negatively on the credibility and quality of the league in the eyes of the outsiders.

“Most of the advanced countries we are copying are putting measures in place to restart their leagues.

“England and other European countries, Germany, Italy, Spain, among others have agreed to restart their league including playing behind closed doors and neutral venues.

“We must find a way to copy them by appealing to the government to see reason to allow a guided restart mechanism for the domestic league.

“We can finish the league playing the remaining matches behind closed doors if needs be at a convenient neutral places.

“The most important thing is to ensure that all the health measures are in place and strictly adhered to by the whole participants.

“We must evolve a way to finish the league season so as to give whoever that will emerge winners credibility and respectability.

“We must align ourselves with what obtains in Europe especially with a properly defined calendar.

“It does not matter if there won’t be fans and spectators in the stadium, at least, the key in all the measures is social distancing.

“We must finish the league so that we will be able to produce credible representatives for the various continental club competitions,” said the former Lobi Stars gaffer.

Ogenye said his dream is to ensure that the Seasiders finish the league campaign strongly on the log.

“I’m hoping to finish the league strongly and in a respectable position on the league table.

“I’m not over ambitious to start eying the league crown in the on-going dispensation but to guarantee the premiership status of the team,” said Ogenye.

Ogenye said his watchword for his wards is to keep fit even in the face of the on-going lockdown and inactivity as a result of the coronavirus crisis.

“We have a forum where we communicate to ourselves almost on a daily basis and the talking point is for them to do everything in their power to maintain fitness. It’s key even if they have to do it within the confine of their respective homes,” said Ogenye.

Warri Wolves are 11^th on the 20-team top-flight log on 33 points 16 behind league leaders, Plateau United with a game to spare.