Ex- international and former Super Eagles defender, Sam Sodje has urged his former team mates on the need to promote the Nigeria football leagues.
He stated this in reaction to the statements made by a former Super Eagles captain, Austin Jay Jay Okocha who admitted that he prefers watching the European leagues to the Nigeria Professional Football League during the English Premier League trophy tour in Nairobi, Kenya.
Sodje, who had served as the chairman of the Football Association in Delta State and had a distinguished career with clubs like Reading and Portsmouth FC, issued a statement admonishing his fellow ex-professionals to be cautious about their remarks regarding the NPFL.
“Assuming these comments are actually made and proven to be true, it just goes to show the need to properly advise some of our distinguished ex-professionals to watch what they say about our local game, general sports sector and to ensure that everyone works together toward building a more sustainable, rewarding and progressive sports sector in Nigeria.
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“The European sports sector that we now worship did not come to be without the efforts of the individuals and stakeholders getting solidly involved in the development and building of the sector.
“With due respect to Okocha, whose exploits during his football playing days are widely acknowledged specially in Nigeria, there is an urgent need for him to give further a proper clarification regarding the said comments,” he said.