By Abdulwasiu Hassan
In football, as in life, validation matters. And what can be a bigger testament to the pristine joy of the beautiful game than a full house rooting for the teams?
Nigerian fans pining for a return to the glory days of the domestic league may have espied a glimmer of hope — and regained a sliver of footballing pride — on seeing how the Mobolaji Johnson Arena (formerly known as Onikan Stadium) in Lagos filled up for the final of the Naija Super 8 a few weeks ago.
"Who says our local football league can't sell?" a delighted fan wondered aloud, echoing the sentiments of the packed galleries.
The sight of a stadium full to the brim for the July 16 final between Sporting Lagos and Remo Stars was something nostalgic Nigerians had long been waiting for. They knew that the local league could have a large following — it was just a matter of getting the show and the setting right.
Sporting Lagos beat Remo Stars on penalties to clinch the maiden Naija Super 8 title that day, but it was domestic football that regained its mojo.
The Naija Super 8 is an off-season football competition in Nigeria ''conceived as an intervention to bring excitement back to the domestic game and engender fresh emotional investments by fans to propel the sport to higher heights,'' organisers say.
Glorious past
There was a time when the Nigerian domestic league was so strong that it was able to feed the national team with quality players who could hold their own against the best in continental and world competitions like the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the FIFA World Cup.
The strength of the league also translated into fierce loyalty from local football fans. They would not only flock to the stadium whenever their favourite teams were playing at home, but also travel with them for away competitions.
The success of the domestic league in those years rubbed off on the national team, with the Nigerian Super Eagles achieving their highest FIFA ranking ever in 1994 – No. 5 in the world and No. 1 in Africa.
Then, rather inexplicably, the slide began. Over the years, the ability of the league to supply the national team with players of the calibre of Segun Odegbami, Daniel Amokachi, Jay-Jay Okocha, Nwakwo Kanu, and Osaze Odemwingie has waned just the way its following has plummeted.
Regulatory role
"Too much involvement of government in ownership of football clubs is a major problem," David Ngobua, sports editor of Nigeria's Daily Trust newspaper, tells TRT Afrika.
"It is not supposed to be so, because in other countries where football is played professionally, the governments have no business sponsoring, funding, or setting up clubs like we do in Nigeria."
Ngobua explains that the government is not supposed to be a player in the domestic league beyond playing a regulatory role that will help clubs thrive.
"For instance, if we look at the Nigerian professional football league at the moment, only three clubs that will be competing in the NPFL next season are privately owned. The rest are owned by state governments," he says.
The alleged lack of fair officiating, and insecurity at match venues, have fuelled fans' pessimism and fed spectator apathy. Hence, until the Naija Super 8 final showed otherwise, spectator presence at most stadia has been generally scanty during league matches.
The paying public's lack of interest deny clubs the revenue they could have otherwise made from juicy broadcasting deals, souvenirs and gate fees. By extension, the local economy is denied the opportunity of benefiting from the potential spin-offs.
Matching Europe?
Experts believe the Nigerian local league will greatly benefit from the growth spurred by a free market economy, where the major players are private individuals or corporate organisations.
"Football clubs are supposed to be owned by private entities. They end up more successful when this is the case," says Ngobua.
When professional football started in Nigeria, clubs like Leventis United, Ranchers Bees of Kaduna, BCC Lions of Gboko, Udoji United, and Nwayanwu Nationale excelled in the league.
According to Ngobua, the fact that the Naija Super 8 finalists — Sporting Lagos and Remo Stars — are both privately-owned attests to what clubs in the Nigerian domestic league stand to gain in the hands of private or corporate organisations.
He points out that the way the Naija Super 8 was organised by a private firm would, if adopted, help the country's domestic league claw back to predominance.
"This is not North African. This is Lagos. This is Nigeria. This is the South West Derby in the Naija Super 8 final. I love this," tweeted Adepoju Tobi Samuel, a Nigerian football writer.
Brave new world
Among the major causes of the demise of the privately-owned clubs that held sway in Nigeria from the late 80s to early 90s was the lack of succession plans.
Experts believe the problem can be tackled by running football clubs like public limited liability companies, with shareholders and a board of directors.
“People will invest in these clubs. And when people invest in these clubs, it will be run like a business,” Ngobua tells TRT Afrika.
“Whoever invests, or whoever buys shares, will like to know what is happening to his club, and that is what is done in Europe. When you see Man U having millions of fans — people who support these clubs are handing the legacy to their children, their children are handing this over to their grandchildren. It continues like that because shares have been bought."
Unlike clubs owned or under the government's control, private entities enjoy the freedom to manage these based on the pedigree of players, coaches and other staff.
After the Naija Super 8 provided a peek into the potential future of the Nigerian league, fans would be hoping that the phrase "good old days" is quickly replaced by the promise of a "brave new world".
