It’s been a remarkable first round of the NPFL 2020/2021 season for the League Management Company (LMC) and by all standard, one could say the league has been set back on a viability path albiet with need for ‘more’ improvement.
On the other hand, it’s been an unusual campaign with fans being barred from centres of game; no thanks to Covid-19.
Even without fans, the LMC hammer have fell on some teams who had in one way or the other violated the standing order of match proceedings.
The motivation for this opinion is being drawn from the last AFCON qualifier game between Super Eagles of Nigeria and Crocodiles of Lesotho where fans were allowed into the stadium.
One can’t quantify the significance of fans presence in the match where the Nigerian team went wild against their visitors to start their return to Lagos on an impressive note with a resounding 3-0 victory.
Whatever it means for the NFF to applied for fans participation in Super Eagles game from CAF in the first place before 30% of the stadium capacity was eventually granted could also sum up the significance of fans to NPFL teams.
Now that the Covid-19 vaccine is available, it would be magnanimous of the LMC to relax the order of match under closed doors for a ‘new engagement’ which could see some percentage of fans coming into the stadium to savour the NPFL in the second round.
Revenue that will be realised from the proceedings of fans engagement will in no small measure also help teams cover some of their expenses in the face of dwindling resources and financial instability.
Practically, fans connection in the second round of the NPFL will also add more values to the broadcast revolution (NPFL.tv) in the league- thus complimenting the initiative.
In the event that fans are consequently allowed, the LMC is expected to step up it’s efforts in dettering clubs from breaching the code of conduct in a bid to avert the spread of the deadly virus.