The qualification of three Lagos-based teams for thd Super-8 in the second-tier Nigeria National League (NNL) is still eliciting reactions.
Adding his voice to the debate, the coach of Collins Edwin Sports Club of Surulere, Uchechukwu Ugwu opined that it is simply because the standard of grassroots football is high in the Centre Of Excellence.
Speaking against the backdrop of slots picked by Ikorodu City, Inter Lagos and Madiba FC, the coach fondly called Jay Uche added that the large number of football academies present in Nigeria’s commercial capital has also boosted the round leather game among their league clubs.
He began by pointing out that the NNL is meant to be like the top-flight Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) in terms of welfare and remuneration of players, but posited that the presence of many youngsters has made it become semi-professional.
Coach Uche stated, “If you look at the NNL, it’s like a semi-professional league. It’s meant to be professional, but, for me, I look at it as semi-profesional because of the young players that are there.
“That has been made possible by the presence of good clubs from Lagos in the NNL. This is because we have the best grassroots football in Lagos. There is no doubt about that.
“We used to compete with Kaduna and Aba, but, with all the crises in the east and the north, everyone has practically moved down here. So, most teams here, all they need to do is look inward, recruit well, and they will do well.
“So, I’m not surprised that Ikorodu City did well, Madiba did well, and I’m not surprised that Inter Lagos did well. For instance, where did Inter Lagos recruit from? Their captain is from Collins Edwin.
“If you look at the standard of the game we play in Lagos, even at the grassroots and academy levels, it is higher than some of the games you find at top teams in other states.
“So, football standard in Lagos is actually high. That is the truth … the quality here is high.”
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