Veteran Nigerian striker Brown Ideye has voiced his frustration over the poor state of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), stating that the league is getting worse rather than improving.
The 36-year-old forward, who has played in leagues across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, recently returned to the NPFL with Enyimba International.
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Ideye’s professional journey began nearly two decades ago with Ocean Boys.
However, despite his excitement to be back, he is disappointed that the league remains in disarray.
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“The system is getting worse”
Speaking after Enyimba’s 2-0 defeat to Kwara United in Ilorin—a result that marked the club’s third consecutive loss in all competitions—Ideye did not hold back his criticism.
“The system is getting worse. My time at Enyimba has been wonderful, but there are a lot of things in the league that need to improve,” he told 54FootballX.
“Nigerian clubs not ready for continental football”
Ideye pointed out that Nigerian clubs struggle in continental tournaments due to a lack of proper preparation and poor infrastructure.
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“In terms of travelling, it’s bad; in terms of feeding, it’s bad; in terms of the hotel and helping the players to relax, it’s all bad,” he lamented.
He further stressed that these problems need to be addressed before Nigerian clubs can compete successfully at the international level.
“Nigerians and the clubs are not ready for continental football. I feel we should put our house together before we can go play continental football instead of going there to disgrace ourselves,” he added.
Enyimba’s Continental struggles
Despite Ideye’s contribution—scoring in Enyimba’s only group-stage victory in the 2024/25 CAF Confederation Cup—the team failed to progress past the group stage, finishing with just five points from a possible 18.
His comments highlight a larger problem within the NPFL, as Nigerian clubs continue to struggle on the continental stage due to poor planning, inadequate player welfare, and logistical challenges.
Call for reforms
Ideye insists that the league organisers must take urgent steps to fix these issues.
He believes that for the NPFL to be considered a top-flight league, all loose ends must be tightened to make it attractive for both players and officials.
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