By Victor Kanayo
Former Super Eagles captain Austin Jay Jay Okocha has revealed his preference for European leagues to the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
Okocha made this declaration during the English Premier League trophy tour in Nairobi, Kenya.
The former Bolton Wanderers midfielder said the NPFL needs to upgrade its standard to attract quality sponsors.
He urged the NPFL board to tap from the Europeans and make improvements where needed.
According to him, “I don’t think I’d watch the Nigerian League if there is a Premier League match on television, which is if I am being honest, because the Premier League is more attractive.
“We need to go back to the drawing board and give ourselves time and put something together that will make our leagues attractive.”
Keita Demise
Meanwhile, tributes are pouring in after Malian forward Salif Keita, the winner of the first African Footballer of the Year award in 1970 and one of the continent’s sporting legends, died in Bamako.
He passed on at the age of 76.
Keita enjoyed a long career in France at St Etienne and Olympique de Marseille and also played for Valencia in Spain and Sporting Lisbon before finishing his career in the North American Soccer League.
He debuted for Mali aged 16 and later helped them reach the final of the 1972 Africa Cup of Nations.
From 2005 to 2009 Keita served as president of the Mali Football Federation.
Streak Followed
Also, former Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak has died of colon and liver cancer at the age of 49 on Sunday.
Streak was the all-time leading test wicket-taker for his country, bagging 216 wickets and scoring 1,990 runs in 65 tests between 1993-2005.
He had been undergoing treatment in Johannesburg.
“In the early hours of this morning, Sunday the 3rd of September 2023, the greatest love of my life and the father of my beautiful children, was carried to be with the Angels from his home where he wished to spend his last days surrounded by his family and closest loved ones,” his wife, Nadine, wrote on social media.
Streak was appointed Zimbabwe’s bowling coach after his retirement, followed by spells with Bangladesh and twice Indian Premier League champions Kolkata Knight Riders.
He returned to coach Zimbabwe in 2016 but resigned after his team failed to qualify for the 2019 World Cup.
