Former Coach of Messiah Football Club of Lagos, Anthony Ushurhe says he has supported Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL to kick off on 27th, December across all centers with little fans at the stadium.
A Nigerian-born American based football coach in a chat with Sports247 said there is no reason why the Nigerian football league should not kick off noting that many countries in the world, especially in the western world that have a high level of COVID-19 cases, had started their league long time ago.
He said if Nigeria fails to kick off the league, it would not only affect the player’s market value but it would also affect the clubs that are representing the country at the CAF club championships.
“You can see what happened recently to Plateau United at the CAF Champions League, they were knocked out by Tanzania club in the first match.
“The same things happened to Kano Pillars who failed to qualify in CAF competition despite their pre-season friendlies. Only Rivers United and Enyimba FC were struggled to reach the second round. So there is a need for us to start the league and the organizers should ensure that all COVID-19 Protocols are being observed before, during, and after the league matches, “he said.
Ushurhe who is currently handling the U-16 Arsenal football team that are playing in the Junior Premier League in the USA advised the league organizers to reduce the number of fans that would watch the league match to avoid spreading the deadly disease.
He also said there is a need for fans to adhere to COVID-19 public safety protocols at the match venue saying that any fan who fails to abide by the rules should be sanctioned and punished accordingly.
“The only thing the league organizers would do is to ensure that all the covid-19 public safety protocols are being observed. The few fans that would come to the stadium should wear their face mask and sanitize their hands before coming to the stadium. Aside from this, the fans should also maintain social distancing during and after the match. If we can do all these, the better for the country,” he added.
