Calls increase for Nigeria’s top league to avoid a quick fix to corona disruption

Former Nigerian international and Sunshine Stars coach, Duke Udi has added his voice to calls for the League Management Company (LMC) to ensure full completion of the 2019/20 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season on the pitch.

The top-flight and other leagues have been suspended since mid-March due to the global outbreak of flu-like coronavirus.

Chairman of LMC, Shehu Dikko last Monday (May 25) on Channels TV Sports Programme outlined four options being considered to conclude the current season but strongly recommended a play-off of the top six teams to decide the champions and continental representatives.

Udi said the authorities should not indulge in a quick-fix solution but rather follow the example of top European leagues and allow the league calendar to run its full course.

“If the LMC is looking for measures to conclude the current season they may as well look towards Europe for help.

The German Bundesliga has restarted the league, Serie A, EPL, LaLiga, etc. have come up with dates in June to restart their league in the midst of coronavirus.

“If there is time and I believe there is time and we just have 13 games left why can’t we finish the 13 games on the pitch. For me that’s the best option to go towards a successful completion of the league season.

“Thirteen matches are not too many to complete once the inter-state lockdown on human and vehicular movement is lifted.

“LMC should strive to complete the league to see the outright winner on merit as well as other continental representatives.

“Let the teams with extra games play their outstanding matches because if LMC insists on play-off it’s same as not knowing the real winners of the league.

“English Premier League (EPL) could have as well asked Liverpool with 25 points gap to take the league crown as champions.

“EPL did not do that rather is pressing forward to have the whole matches completed on the field of play.

“They know the league would not have been completed in such circumstance and the winners would not have emerged on merit and they do not want such situation to happen.

“Although, in Africa it is a different ball game even some African countries have called off their current season.

“From the look of things 13 matches are not many, we do play matches on Wednesday and Sunday, we can play two matches in a week to complete the season in less than six weeks.

“The same thing can be replicated in the Nigeria National League (NNL), it’s doable, they can do it, NNL can still play their matches instead of cancelling it outright.

“They have played four/five matches in NNL, you know in Nigeria most of the teams are government owned clubs and they must have spent huge resources on those matches so how will somebody go ahead to cancel it with no winners no vanquished.

“Some teams are atop of their groups so it will not be proper to say no promotion everyone must start all over again.

“If the authorities are considering a play-off for NPFL the same thing should be extended to NNL, pick the top teams in each group to play play-off. Teams should be promoted and demoted on the field of play.

“The best and preferred option for me to end the season is to play out the remaining matches once the inter-state lockdown on movement is lifted, it will help the winner to emerge on merit same as other continental representatives.

“Those 13 matches can be played twice in a week and in six weeks everything will be done and dusted,” said the former Akwa United coach.

The LMC boss, Dikko however said that the conversations and options to conclude the current league season are on the NFF table to decide and approve.