There’s urgent need to prevent unnecessary deaths in Nigerian football
A former Nigerian international and president of the National Association of Nigerian Professional Football Players (NANPF), Tijani Babangida has reiterated the need for steps to be taken by clubs in the Nigeria Professional Football League to safeguard the lives of their players. Babangida who is a member of the committee set up by the NFF to investigate into the death of Nasarawa United player, Chineme Martins assured that the report of the committee will address squarely the issue of lack of medical facilities in the NPFL.
As the president of the National Association of Nigerian Professional Footballers, what is your reaction to the untimely deaths of two NPFL players, Chineme Martins of Nasarawa United and Ifeanyi George of Enugu Rangers?
Honestly, I feel really sad that such young and promising players lost their lives in such circumstances. Martins died in active service while George’s life was claimed by a fatal motor accident. These are irreparable losses and I pray that God almighty will console their families. It was indeed a sad moment for Nigerian football.
Has your association reached out to the families of the deceased?
Immediately the incidents happened, we responded by sending some of our members to go and commiserate with the families of the players. Some of our members were in Abia to condole with the family of the Nasarawa United player. And we were there at the burial of Ifeanyi George there in Lagos. We also hope to be in attendance at the burial of Martins.
You are a member of the committee the NFF set up to investigate the death of Martins. What are the findings of the committee?
We are yet to submit our report to the Hon. Minister of Sports so it will not be proper to go into details. There is nothing much to talk about. All I can say is that we have done a thorough job. We were there in Benin City and we moved over to Lafia where we interviewed all the critical stakeholders. We have been able to gather useful information and I believe by the time the report is submitted, it would go a long way in addressing issues of lack of medical facilities in Nigerian football. We are putting together a comprehensive document in line with the mandate that was given to us by the NFF. It is time we do everything necessary to prevent unnecessary deaths in the NPFL.
Do we have to wait until tragedy strikes before we react?
This has been the practice and the earlier we stop it the better. Most times we wait for something to happen before the right thing is done. We do as if nothing will happen. However, the moment we are hit by misfortune like the incident in Lafia, we react. Of course, we cannot prevent death but there are certain things that are under our control. Almost everybody believes that had Martins received the right medical attention, maybe he would have survived. This is not to apportion blame but we have to be more careful.
What would you say is the economic implication of COVID-19 on world football?
Economically, football is going to suffer. Even at this moment, some of the biggest clubs in European football have started to struggle financially. As we speak, some of the richest clubs in Europe are talking about cutting players’ salaries. This will definitely have a negative economic impact on the players and their dependants. It is not going to be easy for the clubs especially in signing new players and keeping up with their contractual obligations. It is going to be a global problem but I just hope the league in Nigerian will not suffer too much at the end of this global crisis.
In case NPFL clubs are eventually hit by financial crisis, will NANPF be able to assist the players?
We are always ready to support the players by having good discussions with authorities on their behalf. For now, there is no problem down here since we are all battling to contain with this coronavirus pandemic. However, I want to call on football administrators to begin to think about how they will be able to sustain the game when the present crisis is over. In case of any eventuality, we would come up with innovations to assist our players. We won’t abandon them. We have always been there for them.
In view of the tragic death of Ifeanyi George, what would be your advice for NPFL players?
We want our players to be more careful. There are some things they can avoid. For instance, even when you have a good car, there should be a limit to how far you can drive. If one is travelling for a long distance, he can get a professional driver to help out. Driving within the town is okay but I think when it comes to covering over 300 kilometres, it will be better to get a driver. And driving in convey is quite dangerous. One’s safety cannot be guaranteed because anything can happen. There are also trips that are not necessary so they can be avoided. As professional footballers, they must learn to avoid certain behaviours.
Are you disappointed that NFF is yet to renew Gernot Rohr’s contract?
There is nothing to worry about because NFF have not come out to announce that they are looking for a new coach. Moreover, Rohr’s contract has not expired so NFF may be talking their time before they renew it. Maybe at the verge of expiration of the contract, they would finalise a new deal with the coach. If there were rumours that NFF is looking for a coach, it would have been possible for one to think that something wrong between the two parties. For now, Rohr is still the coach of the Super Eagles.