BY KATE OBODO
Spokesman of Crown FC of Ogbomosho, Kunle Oyeleye has said the team is not out in contention for surviving the relegation battle in the Nigerian Premier League, NPL.

With only four rounds of matches to go in the League, the Ogbomosho based-side is believed to be on the verge of relegation but its media officer is still hopeful that the last four matches favour the team.

Oyeleye disclosed to Inside Out Premier League that despite the teams’ absence from other competitions, they are still intact and are warming up for the resumption of the concluding matches. While waiting for the resumption date of the matches, Oyeleye said the team have been training and are also involved in competitions within their domain to keep fit.

“Crown FC are still at the wrong end of the NPL table and we will need more than a miracle to survive the chop at the end of the season. That is why we are doing everything to make sure we survive relegation. For now the players are on break and are expected to resume on Monday. We still believe there is hope for the team and by God’s grace, we will overcome,” he assured.

Ebikagboro optimistic on lessons learnt from Accra defeat

Warri Wolves did not live up to the expectations of its fans as it suffered a 1-0 defeat to Ashanti Kotoko last Sunday in an International friendly held in Accra, Ghana in a bid to get the team ready for the concluding part of the 2010/2011 session of the Nigeria Premier league.

According to the team’s media officer, Timi Ebikagboro who spoke to Inside Out Premier League on arrival, he said, “It was a great match though we lost 1-0. We played 10 against 11 following the infringement committed by Mine Ojo. The most important thing is that, we were able to learn from our mistakes from the match. We want to make sure that the team are strong and better than what they were before the league was suspended. I believe having games like this one will boost the team’s performance ahead of the remaining league matches.”

The Nigerian league will be concluded in a few weeks from now with only four rounds of matches to be played. Dolphins and Sunshine lead the pack with Warri Wolves and Kano Pillars close on their heels with 59 points each.

Poor planning caused never-ending league —  Esin

Former Super Eagles midfielder, Etim Esan has voiced his opinion on the running of the Nigeria Premier League, NPL, saying that it is not properly organized as it should.

Speaking with Inside Out Premier League, the former assistant coach of Akwa United said the league is still having leadership problem alongside the absence of sponsors and cannot not be compared with its foreign counterparts except it is properly organised.

“Anywhere that there is no clear-cut leader, that house will not be in order. In fact the structure and platform of the league is not in place, this has affected the posibility of a having major sponsor for it. We do not know, if it is GLO or MTN that is sponsoring the league, there is a lot of confusion here and there, I think the NFF should step in and put the house in order.

He continued thus: “When these things are not there, the league cannot function well. Even the Television right with Supersports is even shaking, that makes it more difficult for the league to function properly like other leagues in the World. While other leagues in the World are resuming a new season, ours is yet to end its last season which does not augur well for our organisation. But if we can put all these things in place, the league will be better.

“My advice is that, the earlier they do the election and get sponsors, the better for the league, because it is from the league that we get players that will play for the national team,” Esin said.