Home-Based Players In Super Eagles Buoy NPL

The Nigeria Premier League (NPL) has said that the inclusion of more home-based players in the Super Eagles meant that the domestic league’s standard has improved.

The NPL’s Acting Executive Secretary, Tunji Babalola, told newsmen in Lagos that the regulatory body intended to improve on its operations to ensure stability.

He said that the successful completion of the first stanza of the league would enable the regulatory body carry out an appraisal and put in place measures that would further improve the NPL.

“So far so good; the league has been going on fine, it could be better.

“We will ensure that our mistakes earlier this season, would not be allowed to happen again and we will fine-tune our strategies to keep improving.

“If you look at the makeup of the Super Eagles today, the bulk of the players are from the domestic league, which I see as a plus for the NPL’’, Babalola said.

In the area of officiating in the league, Babalola said that the referees had given a good account of themselves, adding that the away victories secured by visiting teams spoke volumes about the improvement.

“In this season, we have had more away victories, compared to the past. This means fairness by match officials,’’ he said.

Babalola urged fans to continue to attend league matches and not to relent in their support, stressing that they would get good value for their money in the next stanza of the league.

“I want to assure fans of the intention of the NPL to serve them with exciting and entertaining football in the second stanza, because of the keen competition by clubs vying for the title,’’ he said.

The NPL is currently on a one week break, to enable teams to rest and prepare for the second stanza which kicks off at the various centres tomorrow.

The break is also serving as a transfer window to enable teams to carry out mid-season transfer of players to fortify their squads before the commencement of the second stanza.

The 2011/2012 season of the NPL will end in August.