By Akanni Seyi
The chairman of the League Management Company, Shehu Dikko, has described the 2016 Nigeria Professional Football League season as a huge success.
Dikko said the successes achieved were both on and off the pitch as he praised the league champions, Rangers, for winning the title after 32 years.
Moving forward he said the LMC would be looking beyond just the three points after a football match but other farreaching achievements. “Indeed, the 2016 NPFL season has been a huge success both on and off the pitch,” Dikko said.
“Going forward, the major objective would be the strengthening of our new campaign tagged “Beyond the Three Points”.
“Through this, we envisage taking the NPFL and indeed football in the country beyond the 90 minutes by creating an economy around the league that will contribute greatly towards the GDP of the country through the creation of business around football.
“This will expectedly create massive job opportunities and further enhance professionalism in all facets of the NPFL.”
Meanwhile, the NPFL clubs will, from the coming season, raise youth teams for players aged 15 years and below to compete in the new Youth League.
This was one of the highpoints of the Annual General Meeting of the LMC where the proposal for a Youth League tournament in partnership with LaLiga that all clubs will participate in, was approved.
The AGM resolution noted: “The meeting approved LMC proposal to start a Youth League Competition for U-15 among NPFL participating clubs in association with La Liga in furtherance of the partnership agreement between the two leagues.
The league would be fashioned after the La Liga Promisas’ with La Liga serving as technical partners.”
Clubs are expected to employ young coaches for the youth teams and in line with the collaboration with La Liga, the Spanish league will provide technical assistance by providing coaches who will train the youth team coaches before the start of the league.
