At a seminar for the Nigeria Premier Football League Clubs Managers Association (NPFLCMA) in Ikenne, Ogun State, Gbenga Elegbeleye, the NPFL chairman, enjoined the participants to interact and share knowledge to improve the competitive level of the league.
While reminding the coaches that nobody has a monopoly of knowledge, the NPFL Chairman argued that such interaction and knowledge sharing will improve the capacity of individual Coaches and lead to a higher level of competition in tactics and match setup.
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He warned that for coaches to remain relevant in the era of technology-driven football management, they must also embrace and acquire scientific tools for performance analysis and resist having over-bloated squads.
“Imagine that some of our clubs register over 40 players for a season, while some actually have 60 players, with the majority of them not enjoying playing time.
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“We therefore have a situation where money that could be used in acquiring football technology tools is spent on salaries of unproductive players”, he lamented.
Mr Elegbeleye also charged the club managers to be role models on and off the football field, reminding them that they bear the responsibility of raising players who must excel in their profession and character.
“As coaches, you play a vital role in shaping the future of Nigerian football. Your dedication, expertise, and passion are essential in developing the skills and talents of our young players. I urge you to continue striving for excellence, to innovate, and to inspire your players to reach new heights.
“As a Coach, you must foster a culture of fair play, respect, and sportsmanship, both on and off the pitch”, he told the members of the association led by Shooting Stars Manager, Gbenga Ogunbote.
He further issued a practice direction on the relationship between Coaches and the Media, harping on the mandatory requirement for attendance at post-match interviews.
“Our rules recognise the importance of the media, hence they provide for compulsory post-match pressers which require the Coach to grant media interviews at the end of every league match, whether your team won or lost.
“You must show an example of good sportsmanship to your players by granting post-match interviews even when your team is defeated. Rich media content not only benefits the media, but also contributes to taking the league story to our homes through mobile devices, radio, television and print media. Let us make this one of our cardinal pledges to work towards a better 2025/26 NPFL season”, Mr Elegbeleye charged the Technical heads.
In his welcome address, Ogunbote remarked that the association is very appreciative of the presence of the NPFL Chairman and gave assurances that they would put to good use the knowledge that the various resource persons will impart.
Among top football personalities who graced the opening ceremony were the Chairman of Remo Stars, Kunle Soname, who is also the association’s patron, Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Augustine Eguavoen, and Harry Iwuala, the NPFL Communications Director.
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