NFF blamed for negligence towards local players and local leagues

Former Nigerian international Friday Ekpo has criticized the NFF for prioritizing foreign players over those from the domestic league.

Ekpo insists that the foundation of any successful national team must be rooted in its local league.

The former League winner emphasized that while foreign players can add tactical depth and experience, they should only complement a strong core of locally developed talent.

“First and foremost, my desire is to see our Nigerian league grow,” Ekpo told Brila.net.

Create a balanced mix

Ekpo offered the solution to Nigeria’s struggle for dominance despite the plethora of talents within and outside the country.

“By building a team with a rich mix of local talent and the best tactics coming from abroad, you will surely get what you want.

“The basis of a national team is the local league. If you look at England, most of their players come from the Premier League.

“If you look at Germany, they come from the Bundesliga. Every other country except Nigeria brings people from the local leagues.

“We have players with talent, power, skills, they have what you want, even if our fields are not good.

“But we have players who play well, so why would you go abroad now to look for players? If we need them so badly, we will bring them, not that you take 30, but you will take a goalkeeper from Nigeria.

“I always feel bad when I see players in the Nigerian leagues who are not starters in the national team.

“Those who start in the Nigerian league, go abroad, then get invitations to the national team and do well too.

“That’s my fight. I work hard, I keep talking about them, let’s raise them to that standard.”

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Ekpo’s comments come amid ongoing debates over the balance between domestic league and foreign players in the Nigerian national team setup, with many stakeholders calling for greater investment and confidence in the local league.

During his playing career, Ekpo was part of the 1992 African Cup of Nations team, where Nigeria won a bronze medal and scored in the third-place playoff against Cameroon.

He also contributed to Nigeria’s qualification for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, although he was not included in the final squad for the tournament.