Super Eagles legend Ahmed Musa has called for urgent reforms in Nigerian football and says that the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) is lagging behind compared to other African competitions.
The explanation of Musa only came a few days after NPFL chairman, Gbenga Elegbeye, spoke proudly about the progress that was made during the 2024/25 season.
Musa wrote on his Facebook page on his Facebook page and said that African clubs play on the current FIFA Club World Cup in the United States made him think about how far Nigerian football is yet to go.
The African clubs on the World Cup of this year are already Ahly (Egypt), Wydad AC (Morocco), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) and Espérance de Tunis (Tunisia). Musa praised their efforts, but said it emphasized how much work Nigeria has to do.
“It’s hard to watch,” wrote Musa. “These African clubs are not only exciting to watch – they also earn money. But if you compare them with our NPFL, the gap is clear.”
He wondered if Nigerian clubs could compete at this level and called for a complete assessment of how the competition is performed. He said that the structure of the clubs, the way the competition is organized and how it is financed, must all be improved.
Musa, who played in top competitions in England, Turkey, Russia, Saudi -Arabia and the Netherlands, said that talent is no longer enough.
“Our competition has so much talent, from Grassroots to top level. But in modern football that is not enough. We have to work together and decide to repair our football so that our clubs can compete in Africa and beyond.”
He also pointed to the absence of Nigeria in international referee.
“Look at referees – other African countries have civil servants at cafe and FIFA events. Where are ours? We have to work harder to increase our standards.”
Musa ended his message through all African clubs at the club World Cup good luck, but his words were clear: Nigerian football needs a serious change.
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