Football
Dele Aiyenugba: 'Success Starts from the Basics' – The NPFL, Talent Exodus, and a Path Forward
Dele Aiyenugba discusses the NPFL’s potential and challenges, including talent exodus and structural issues. He emphasizes youth development and gradual growth as the keys to success in Nigerian football.
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Dele Aiyenugba, a Nigerian ex-international, began his journey in the Nigerian league, having spent several spells with Kwara United and Enyimba spanning over seven years between both clubs.
In all those years in the Nigerian league, Aiyenugba won the historic CAF Champions League twice with Enyimba. Known for saving spot-kicks, Aiyenugba, after making impacts, embarked on a 13-year journey outside the shores of Nigeria and Africa for a better deal.
But after 13 years abroad, Aiyenugba returned home with a newfound perspective on the league's struggles.
Playing in Israel throughout his international spell, Dele Aiyenugba shares with SportsBoom how the league affected this transformation from a grassroot player to a pro.
Dele Aiyenugba knows the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) inside and out.
"The league has helped develop young and vibrant talents in Nigeria. But players need to understand that success doesn't happen overnight. You must start from the basics,” Aiyenugba told SportsBoom.com.
Aiyenugba's words echo through the NPFL, where talent abounds but development lags. The league has become a selling ground, with over five players migrating abroad during the last transfer window. But beneath the surface, structural issues and financial woes threaten the league's growth.
A League In Flux
Paul Bassey, Akwa United chairman, has witnessed the exodus firsthand. "The lure of the dollar is irresistible," Bassey says. "Players earn 660k-750k naira monthly here, but abroad, they can earn $5,000. Why stay?"
Bassey's concerns are valid. The NPFL's structure prioritises short-term success over youth development.
Government-backed teams dominate, focusing on experienced players rather than nurturing young talent. This approach discourages players from joining NPFL clubs, opting instead for European leagues.
However, Enitan Obadina, an NPFL expert, disagrees about the progress the league has experienced over the years. The Sports journalist believes more developments ought to have met the league in recent times. He felt more talents should have been shipped off the league compared to what we have at the moment.
“It’s dominated by government teams who desire to win by any means possible, which includes piling up experienced and old players in the squad, season in, season out. You will see players that have virtually played between eight to fifteen clubs in the league, they keep moving around one season or two. It is not structured to develop talents.”
He felt that more developments should be done than what has been experienced.
Although, a few clubs are trying to change that. A club like Ikorodu City, they have an average age of 22-23, it can be lower basically. Then we have another like Remo Stars promoting more and more of their youngsters from their academy to the team. We’ve also seen Enyimba, doing one or two promotions.
Dele Aiyenugba
Enitan Obadina, an NPFL expert, identified struggles in the league are:
- Failure to keep homegrown stars: Young players flee to European leagues, hurting NPFL's growth.
- Sponsorship woes: Existing partnerships have minimal impact.
- Broadcast quality: Poor communication and lack of timely information hinder fan engagement.
Obadina proposes solutions:
1. Prioritise youth development: Clubs must focus on nurturing young talent.
2. Long-term sponsorship: Deals should focus on growth, not short-term gains.
3. Improved broadcast quality: Upgraded cameras and better presentation are essential.
4. Media partnerships: Crucial for promoting the league.
A Path Forward
As the NPFL navigates its challenges, Aiyenugba's words serve as a reminder: success starts from the basics.
“Nigeria players need to understand that it should start from the basics. You want to travel out but haven’t played in any league, the Nigerian League, African leagues and you want to go out, it is not done that way.
A house isn’t built in a day, it should be done step by step. That’s how we did during our own times, we played Second League Amateur to the professional league before the African Champions League.”
He further concluded that players need to stop comparing their growth with others; hence, they should stick to their personal development.
“The Champions League opens one’s eyes. So, they need to take it easy and take it step by step. Although some can be lucky but out of a majority, only a few survive.”
Another problem is when they see a player those travels, they try to compare themselves with the player and it’s not right. The youths just need to take it easy, keep learning and getting more knowledge on the game.”
Jeremiah Omoniyi is a developmental sports Journalist with over five years of experience writing about grassroots and international football and sporting events. Jeremiah’s forte in sports journalism are feature writing and interviews which he has done to a reasonable amount within his home country, Nigeria.