Former Super Eagles striker Brown Ideye has expressed dismay at the increasing trend of Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) players leaving the country for lesser-known leagues, describing it as detrimental to their future career prospects.
In a tweet on Thursday, Ideye lamented the exodus of Nigerian footballers to obscure leagues in Iraq, Albania, and other countries with low-profile football competitions. His comments came in response to a post by football journalist Tobi Adepoju, who highlighted the steady departure of top NPFL talents to these leagues.
“It’s really sad how all these agents ship out our young stars to start their careers. Are they really thinking of the future of the players? It’s better to start in a second division club in France, Spain or Germany where you can easily be seen by other top clubs,” Ideye tweeted.
Ideye, who was part of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winning team recently returned to the NPFL, joining Enyimba after more than 15 years abroad, playing for top sides like West Bromwich Albion, FC Sochaux, Dynamo Kyiv, Olympiacos, Malaga and many more.
More Read
Adepoju had earlier taken to social media to decry the NPFL’s inability to retain its best players, attributing the trend to poor financial incentives and the harsh economic realities in Nigeria. He cited recent moves such as Deputy Echeta’s transfer from Rivers United to Iraq’s Zakho Sports Club and Sodiq Ismail’s move to FK Partizani in Albania as examples of this alarming pattern.
“The biggest challenge for the NPFL is the fact that the league can’t keep its star and quality players. Every transfer window, the players want to leave,” Adepoju wrote. “Those in their late 20s will take offers even from Iraq.”
According to Adepoju, this player exodus negatively impacts the league’s competitiveness on the continent and diminishes the chances of NPFL clubs excelling in tournaments like the African Nations Championship (CHAN). He also noted that while the league produces breakout stars every season, the inability to retain them disrupts long-term team planning.
“A team is here today with quality and a strong squad, the next transfer window, they lose these players and it causes a big setback for the coach,” he added.
He further compared the players’ exodus to the ongoing “japa” phenomenon in Nigeria, where citizens seek better opportunities abroad due to economic hardship.
© Bold Media Innovations & Creative Hub Limited. All rights reserved. If sharing, kindly credit Bold Sports as the source and include a link to the original post. Unauthorised use is prohibited.
