Stars in the local league have expressed huge disappointment at the late start of the 2019/20 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season which has now been fixed for November 3.

Their lamentation came on the heels of the poor display of the home-based Super Eagles in the West Africa Football Union Cup (WAFU) in Senegal and CHAN qualifiers against tiny Togo.

“I am so frustrated that our league has not started on time and It is painful that the start of the league was delayed severally,” Oluwadamilare Ojo who recently moved to Akwa United from Lobi Stars said.

The midfielder blamed the struggle by Nigerian clubs in continental championship on the late kick-off for the league, adding that the quality of play had declined: ”The late kick off of our league has affected the clubs representing us in continental competitions. We are now far behind from other leagues.”

The former Enyimba star also wants the LMC to do address the issue of poor welfare by NPFL clubs as he hopes that the league would soon get a new sponsor.
“We heard that the league doesn’t have a major sponsor and referees have not been paid their allowances and I hope NFF and LMC will resolve these issues so we can forge ahead,” he noted.

Similarly, Cletus Itodo of Lobi Stars also expressed his frustrations in the delay, blaming the entire fiasco on selfish interest from the stakeholders.
He said: “For the past few years ago the standards of NPFL wasn’t a bad one but as at now a lot of personal interests are making it frustrating.
“Some people have good intentions for the league while others are frustrating it.
“How on earth we haven’t started our league? It really affected the Home-based Super Eagles.”

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Mustapha Aliko has urged clubs in the Nigerian Professional Football League to give their players good contracts.

The goalkeeper who recently joined Katsina United from Niger Tornadoes told newsmen that one of the major problems affecting players performance in the league is the indiscriminate sacking of players by clubs.

“Players should start signing contract and clubs should also increase the packages,” explained the former Niger Tornadoes’ captain. “When players start signing proper contracts, no club can sack a player just like that.”

On the state of the league, the former Niger Tornadoes captain said there is room for improvement and can’t wait for the league to commence.
He said: “I give the league seven out of ten but there is room for improvement.

“In terms of officiating the league has improved but the monetary part of it is very poor.

“We are used to the league not starting on time nevertheless we can’t wait for the league to kick off.”