Isyaku Ibrahim
Barring any hitch Nigeria’s premier League Season is as good as being winded up this weekend
Without much ado,thunderous adulation and salutation goes to the League Management Company for the marvelous and superb job they have done in ensuring the event is not belated as done during previous occasions when it was cut off prematurely due to time factor
Beside that the man at the helm of affairs at the glass house that is Nigeria Football Federation Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau should also be commended for matching words with action if one could recall the promise he made while assuming duty of bringing sweeping reforms in football administration in the country although this is not all as it was just the beginning and more are coming
Digressing to match officiating, despite the fact that there were some lapses here and there across various centres during the competition going by how some teams were favoured against their opponents but yet, the men in black, should a given a pat on the back for the assignment they performed in that direction in view of how slowly but steady home team syndrome that has been a culture in the country ‘s round leather competition officiating is deminishing in view of how they are beginning to instill decency in match officiating to a large extend
Turning to fracas across match venues, the situation has also reduced drastically as a result of intensive enlightenment and publicity in the ills of violence and it’s consequences and beside that inculcating the habit of accepting whatever happened in pitches no matter good or eviil with a heart
That was why teams that were invincible at home were few in number
Thus with the exception of five Club’s among them Enugu Rangers, Katsina United, Remo Stars almost all the sides lost some games on their soil and nothing unwanted occurred
A big example was Kano pillars who recently did not suffer defeat for the last twelve years lost three games at home and nothing happened in the course of the games despite the rumour being peddled in some quarters that Pillars fans were fanatics
As we are about to see the completion of the energy sapping event as early as this weekend, Enugu Rangers have since emerged as the new bride of the the competition after walloping Bendel Insurance by two nil at Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium Enugu while those trailing them including Remo Stars, Enyimba Aba and Shooting Stars Sports Club coincidentally lost their games
But the big question is who follow already relegated sides encompassing Gombe United and Heartland of Owerri to the lower class come upcoming season
Those on the page comprise Akwa United who hired Coach Babaganaru for the assignment
Others were Sporting of Lagos who like Heartland secured promotion to the elite class last season, Bayelsa United, Sunshine Stars and Doma Unieted of Gombe who started the tournament on a good note but fumbled when the going was tough due to what analysts described as inexperienced
Football as it is described as a game of surprise, anything can happened in the final encounter as the axe could fall on any of the teams not minding the politics played before the game
If not Pillars that were so lucky of gaining promotion successively on the three occasions they were relegated all the teams that got demoted in the past found it pretty hard to attain the feat and some of them
A good example was Adamawa united, Yobe Desert Warriors,Mighty Jets of Jos, ABS Illorin, Bauchi Wikki as well as Kaduna United
Here in Kano during the final occasion, the match will be between host Pillars and Lobi Stars of Makurdi who scaled through the challenge with the draw they played with Plateau United in Jos on Saturday but need to win the tie against northern neighbours Lobi Stars comfortably so as to improve their standing on the league final table
Four teams have already secured promotion to the elite class including Beyond Limit Of Ikenne in Ogun State, Elkanemi Warriors of Maiduguri, Nasarawa United of Lafiya and Ikorodu City of Lagos with Beyond Limit owned by the proprietor of Remo Stars emerging as the overall Winners after humiliating Nassarawa United
of Lafiya
Until we meet next season
