Austin Jay Jay Okocha, former Super Eagles captain, has admitted that because of the professionalism, presentation and quality, he would rather watch the European leagues than watch the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).
The African Cup of Nations winner revealed this at the weekend in Nairobi, Kenya, during the English Premier League Trophy Tour.
The former PSG and Bolton Wanderers midfielder added that Nigeria needs to upgrade its organisationstandard to attract quality talents and more sponsors for the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) and other Leagues in the country.
“I don’t think I’d watch the Nigerian League if there is a Premier League match on television, that is if I am being honest, because the Premier League is more attractive.
“We need to go back to the drawing board and give ourselves time and put something together that will make our leagues attractive,” he told Kenyan-based, Capital Sports.
“Our people will fall in love with something attractive and well-packaged. I can take the example of South Africa, the locals there attend matches in the stadium because the league is attractive.
“There are also the North African countries where the locals go out and watch the matches. I think sometimes we need to copy the leagues abroad, forget our ego and humble ourselves, and start from scratch again.
“We need a long-term plan to organise our leagues and make them attractive, it is not rocket science, Jay Jay concludes.
Okocha, who was part of the Nigeria side that won the African Cup of Nations title in 1994, cited South Africa’s Premier Soccer League (PSL) and leagues in North Africa as proof that African countries could evolve into more professional and appealing leagues.
NPFL will kick off on Saturday 9, with Shooting Stars playing host to Plateau United, at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan.
