Ogba Vows To Make NNL Live Up To ‘Most Important League’ Moniker (AUDIO)

Chairman of the Nigeria National League (NNL) Senator Obinna Ogba says his dream is to make the second-tier league truly the most important in the country, as it is usually referred to.

Ogba stated this on Tuesday at the ongoing NNL Super 8 Playoff in Enugu.

Last season, the NNL was marred by lots of issues, ranging from crowd violence, insecurity to poor officiating.

The Nigeria Football Federation board member admitted that things haven’t been rosy in his first year in charge of the NNL, promising that next season will be a lot better.

“My dream is to bring it (NNL) to what it is supposed to be because it is the most important league in the country,” the Ebonyi State FA chairman said.

“If this league is not good, then our Premier League (NPFL) will not be good. So, we have to make it look really as the most important league.

“And this is my first season. I believe that one mistake or the other has been made. By the time we go to the 2021/2022 season, if there’s any mistake made in this season, it will be corrected.”

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Sports also called on the Club Owners/Managers in the NNL to be of good conduct, while accusing them (the Club Owners) of being the ‘major problem’ in the league.

“I also appeal to the Club Owners,” he added. “The major problem we use to have come from the Club Owners, not even the players. Left for the players alone, they will always obey the rules.

“But the Club Owners, the Club managers, they are the major problem we have. But with time, we’ll continue to talk to them, continue to explain to them why it must not be that anybody can win at all time.

“We are watching and we paid, we are watching the Premier League, we are watching La Liga, we are watching all these teams, we have never seen any officials enter the pitch of play to go and quarrel, to go and fight the referee or match commissioner. You have never witnessed it, but in this place (NNL), that’s what you see.”