President of Nigeria National League, NNL Club Owners Forum, Abdul Sule has stressed the need for clubs to embark on fans’ education regarding observing COVID 19 safety measures.
Sule who stated this on Saturday while featuring as guest on Brila FM noted that playing football may be challenging in the face of financial challenges occasioned by the pandemic.
The NNL Club Owners’ boss opined that getting sponsors for the league could ward of much burden on clubs to participate in the league.
“Since (the rules) is all over football business in the world, they (fans) just need to understand that we are not different, but we still need to sensitize them on the new rules as regards having fans at the stadium.
“We know they love us and they want us to succeed, but the only way to succeed is to survive. If we do not survive (from the virus) there’s no way we can succeed.
“And of course the players and officials too need to be educated as regards the new protocols so that everybody is protected from this pandemic.
“Its going to cost money because we need to make sure that players and officials are 100 per cent okay and protected from the virus. We just need to come together and make it work, to do this its going to cost a lot of money, but I’m optimistic we can work it out.”
“The important thing now is that the league (NNL) now have a new CEO which we are praying that we’ll have a sponsor which will ease things for the club owners, so we really pray we get a sponsor before the league will start which may be difficult, but if its possible I think it will ease things for NNL clubs because, honestly, the financial situation have been very difficult on every clubs and without getting the palliative money, I think it will even worse, though is not that much, but anyway it will be enough to prepare the players in readiness for the new season.
“But of course, we will not say because of the finance we’ll not participate in the league. We’ll try our best possible to make sure we are part of it, we are really ready for football to come back and league to resume.”
Asked how the club owners were planning to work with new NNL Chairman, Senator Obinna Ogba as regards the new normal of football during pandemic, the chairman of Kogi United said “There are a lot of things to be discussed with him but most importantly, is the issue of sponsorship and getting the club owners together.
“I mean they should make sure that the club owners are always in the picture of what they are doing, and with his position, I think he can produce a lot of good sponsors so I don’t think that will be a problem.
“He’s a man with a lot of contacts so I think good things are coming to NNL and we the club owners are ready to work together with him to make sure that the NNL is truly the most important league in Nigeria.
