February 14, 2018

Sani Zubairu, Head of Referees Unit, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), on Wednesday said the country’s league had improved satisfactorily.

Zubairu, who made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, said that clubs could now win matches away as well as lose at home.

He said the federation would continue to promote football in line with global best practices.

The NFF board member described the country’s football leagues as one of the best in Africa as demonstrated in the just-concluded Championship of African Nations (CHAN) in Morocco.

“That we lost in the final against Morocco does not mean our league is inferior.

“Our league has been tested in many ways before now; remember Nigerian clubs had won CAF Champions League Cup and CAF Champions League more than two times,’’ he said.

NAN reports that Nigeria’s Shooting Stars FC of Ibadan was the first club to have won the remodelled CAF Champions League Cup in 1992 by former CAF President, Issa Hayatou.

Shooting Stars beat Villa FC of Uganda in the final of the competition.

Also, Enyimba FC of Aba won it back to back in 2003 and 2004.

Zubairu urged total support for Nigeria’s Leagues, which he decribed as stronger and better.

He said that he was optimistic of a stronger and better Nigerian Leagues capable of competing in greater leagues in the world with the collective support of all.

NAN reports that Nigeria’s Professional League, which started on Jan. 14, would end on Sept. 30.