By IME BASSEY & KATE OBODO

Crown FC will survive relegation — Oyeleye

Crown Football Club of Oshogbo have said they will survive relegation and are battle ready for the second half of the season, having discarded 11 old players and replaced them  with 11 new ones.

Ambruse Duru

Disclosing this  to Inside Out Premier League, the team’s media Officer, Kunle Oyeleye, said that every thing that will make them come out of relegation has been made possible, following the payment made by the management of the team in order to boost the players for the next round..

“Actually we have registered  11 new players and discarded the services of 11 of our old  players. We have even  paid part of their sign-fees for the season to serve as a morale booster for the players in order to achieve our plans for the season, so that there will be no excuses whatsoever.

“As it is now, the management is not owing any of these players in terms of salary, every thing is in order  except for the players’  sign-on-fee which was partly paid and by the specially grace of God will be settled completely,” he said.

Nigerian league not competitive  – Gara-Gombe

As the Nigerian Premier League is halted again for the third time mid-season, former Chairman of Gombe Football Association, Alhaji Shuaibu Ahmed Gara-Gombe has said that there is no league in the country.

Gara-Gombe  stated that lack of funds  makes it impossible for the league board to run a competitive league in the country.

He told Inside Out Premier League that the league board has not been able to exploit the contract signed with Supersports in terms of publicity.

“As far as I am concerned, there is no league in Nigeria as it is dead. They are not organized in anyway, yet nobody seems to be worried about the decay in the league and the implications it will have on our football in the nearest future.

In the next two to three years, the caliber of players seen now in the league may not be seen again if we continue this way.

“You know that Nigerian league has always been the last to finish in the world. This is because the NPL secretariat is virtually like a ghost town, no money to operate and they are owning so much debt. Even the  staff  have not been paid. This impedes the upward growth of the league.

What amazes me is that whenever they manage to get money, they go under the table to share it, and then come out to tell us that there is no money.

“Supersports has given African football one channel, yet they have not been able to utilize it. When the league was on, fewer matches were shown. Some stadia were not even camera friendly, yet they approved it for matches. They should stop blaming the NFA all the time as they themselves have many wrong persons,” Gara-Gombe said.

Duru decries pull-him-down syndrome in the league

Former Captain assistant coach of Julius Berger Football Club, Ambrose Duru has said the Nigerian league is on a straight road to the apex.

The Central Bank of Nigerian team tactician who spoke with Inside Out Premier League at the team’s base in Lagos however expressed his displeasure over the the pull-him-down syndrome.

“My problem is the attitude of pulling people down when they are doing the job. If people feel that the person in charge of the league is not doing well, they should not just pull the person down but bring somebody that is far better than him instead of bringing another mediocre. It is just like drawing the hands of the clock back.

He congratulated the president on his victory in last week’s presidential election as he appealed to him to fulfill his promise on improved electricity for Nigerians so that everybody could watch the league regularly.

Commenting on the issue of officiating, the former Vasco Dagama player said “for the referees, I will rate them below average because the instinct of getting something from home teams spoils their mind set.”

Heartland off-load 12, sign 10 new players

Heartland FC of Owerri has placed  12 players on transfer while about 10 players have been signed to beef up the team for the second half of the Premier League.

The team’s media Officer Cajetan Nkwopara who disclosed this to Inside Out Premier League said  “We are on top in terms of players welfare and making sure it is consistent.

We are really set for the next round of the season, following the provisions  made for the players  especially with respect tofinance which is the most important thing. We want our players to get the best this time around that is why we are paying attention to their well-being for a  good result at the end of the season.

“Apart from that, we are also working on their sign-on-fee which is the major thing and by the grace of God we shall conclude on that soon,” he said