Former Super Eagles goalkeeper Greg Etafia has voiced concerns over the state of Nigerian football, linking it to the struggles of the CHAN Eagles at the ongoing tournament.
Etafia pointed to the poor standard of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) as the main reason for the team’s poor performances.
He stressed the need for the NPFL to be better structured and more competitive.
“You need to treat your local league very well, which is very important because that’s where you get a lot of talents who eventually move to Europe, North Africa, or the Southern region,” he said.
Etafia noted that Nigerian clubs’ failure to reach the group stages of CAF continental tournaments in recent years has denied players the opportunity to test themselves against elite competition across Africa.
“When clubs consistently compete in the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup, the local league becomes stronger, as more teams aspire to reach that level. In the past five or six years, Nigeria has hardly made it to the group stages. That is the worst part,” Etafia added.
He emphasized that raising the standard of the NPFL is essential if Nigerian clubs are to work their way back to being among the continent’s top teams.
