“Don’t blame people for trying to feed their families.”
With a blunt reminder that passion doesn’t put food on the table, former Super Eagles captain and midfield icon Sunday Oliseh has called for an urgent overhaul of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL). Speaking with Brila FM, the legendary “African Guardiola” didn’t mince words: if Nigeria wants to stop the exodus of its best talent, it must first stop starving them.
Oliseh’s message is clear—football is a high-stakes profession, yet the men at the heart of the Nigerian game are being treated like hobbyists rather than professionals.
Oliseh argued that the “talent drain” plaguing the NPFL isn’t just about the lure of European lights; it’s a desperate flight toward financial security. When players can’t find stability at home, they are forced to seek it elsewhere.
- The Livelihood Argument: Oliseh insists football is a business. “It is what players use to pay their bills, support their families, and secure their future,” he noted.
- The Empathy Gap: He challenged administrators to “put yourself in their situation,” noting that every human being seeks a better life and stability.
In a nostalgic comparison, Oliseh reflected on his own era in the domestic league. While the figures might have been smaller, the consistency was the backbone of the sport.
“When we played, we were never owed salaries for months. The amount may not have been huge, but it was reliable. People raised families and planned their futures through consistent savings.”
For Oliseh, the current trend of months-long salary delays is a death knell for professionalism. He argues that even a modest, regular wage is superior to a high, “ghost” salary that never arrives.
To keep the NPFL from becoming a mere transit camp, Oliseh called for a two-pronged reform:
- Professional Management: A move away from the current disorganized administrative structures.
- Financial Sanctity: Ensuring the league environment is “conducive” enough that a player doesn’t feel forced to move to a lower-tier foreign league just to survive.
Sunday Oliseh’s intervention serves as a wake-up call to the league’s custodians. The message is simple: You cannot build a world-class league on empty stomachs. If the NPFL is to grow, the welfare of the players must become the league’s most valuable asset, not its biggest afterthought.
