South Africa and Mamelodi Sundowns legend Joe Masilela has revealed that the decline in the quality of football in the NPFL is a direct result of the poor performances of the Super Eagles, Soccernet.ng reports.
Mamelodi Sundowns took on Remo Stars last week in the CAF Champions League qualifiers, and they cruised to a 5-1 victory over the NPFL Champions at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta.
Masilela, popularly known as ‘fire‘ in his playing days, revealed the PSL giants had no reason to celebrate their win over Remo Stars because the NPFL is a weaker league compared to the South African League.
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Masilela berates Super Eagles, Nigerian football
Over the years, Nigerian teams have performed poorly in continental football, while Sundowns were participants of the maiden 32-team FIFA Club World Cup held in the United States of America over the summer.
The second leg between Remo Stars and the Masandawana will be played at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, but Masilela is convinced there's no point in celebrating since Nigerian teams, alongside the Super Eagles, are no longer what they once were.
“I didn't even celebrate the 5-1 win in the first leg. These are weak teams,” Masilela told KickOff.
“The Nigerian league is no longer competitive. Even their national team has become mediocre. It's clear they are struggling.
“It’s not the strong, competitive Nigerian league we once knew. Remo Stars may be champions, but they're champions of a weak league.
“If you compare it to our Betway Premiership, you will see a big difference.
“So, we shouldn't read too much into how Sundowns perform against Remo Stars. Look at the Nigerian national team; it's no longer a team that strikes fear,” the Sundowns legend concluded.
