The Chairman of the newly promoted Nigeria Premier League (NPL) side, Sporting Lagos football club, Mr. Godwin Enakhena, has said the club founded in 2021 is strictly for business. In this exclusive interview with Trust Sports, the veteran sports journalist who masterminded the promotion of MFM FC Lagos to the NPFL in 2015 spoke on how Sporting Lagos came into existence, mission and vision of the privately owned club, the victory in the just concluded Naija Super 8 Tournament and how he hopes to bring his wealth of experience as a journalist and sports administrator to bear on the Club Owners Association which he is serving as the General Secretary.
Congratulations on Sporting Lagos FC’s victory in the just concluded Naija Super 8. How happy are you with the victory?
I am very happy because the hard work put in by the players and their coaches paid off. And I won’t forget to mention that the investment by the founder of the club, Shola Akinlade, has yielded positive dividends. We are all happy.
What is your assessment of the inaugural edition of the Naija Super 8 pre-season tournament?
It was excellent in all ramifications. The Naija Super 8 tournament is a wakeup call for football administrators in Nigeria that there’s so much they’ve to do to take our football out of the woods that it is now, and Naija Super 8 has just shown how it should and can be done. We all saw excellent organisation, excellent football and excellent reward for the teams that participated.
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Most Nigerians are surprised by the sudden appearance of Sporting on the Nigerian football scene. How did the club come into existence?
Some 16 months ago, a young tech entrepreneur, Shola Akinlade, reached out to me through one of our colleagues, Colin Udoh, to help set up a football club. I wondered why it had to be me but Colin had told him so much about me that I couldn’t say no. I did make attempts to dissuade him from investing in football in Nigeria but Shola told me that he was encouraged by my revelations and was ready to take the plunge. So, I set up an open camp in a resort on the outskirts of Ibadan, this was October 2021 and the birth of Sporting Lagos took place there. I then bought a slot and we played our first game in the Nigeria National League (NNL) in February 2022, and here we are today in the Nigeria Premier League 16 months after.
In less than a decade you have masterminded the promotion of two privately owned clubs to the NPFL. What is your ‘magic wand’?
There’s really no magic wand, it’s about passion, not wanting to fail, learning from those who have been there before me, working very hard, staying and working with the best human beings, and I mean coaches, backroom staff and the most important elements, the football players. We also work very hard and pray very hard. And I always remind myself of the words of Mountain of Fire & Miracles Ministries General Overseer, Dr Daniel Olukoya who says to us to work towards beating whoever is the best so that we can become the very best.
In less than two years, Sporting has in its fold some of the best legs in Nigerian domestic football. What is making the club attractive to top quality players?
It is simply because it’s a generational team set up strictly for business. A football club that will give talented youths the opportunity they crave to exhibit their God given talents in a very conducive environment, while earning very well. And Sporting Lagos is a gateway for any of the players that stand out at the end of the season to make it to Europe.
Sporting will be making their debut in the NPFL in the 2023-2024 season, what should the teeming fans of the club expect?
Sporting Lagos FC will give them value for money and time with good football that will be result oriented. They will not regret supporting us.
Are there plans to beef up the present squad in some departments?
Of course. The NNL is not the same as the NPL so the coaches will be doing their jobs of beefing up areas that need strengthening.
How supportive have Lagos fans been to Sporting FC?
They’ve been amazing. We couldn’t have gotten here without their support, the 12th man they’ve been since we started this project and we know that they’re happy because the players didn’t disappoint them.
What do you think other clubs in the NPFL can learn from the three privately owned clubs, Remo Stars, Doma United and Sporting FC?
Three privately owned clubs because there’s also Doma United FC of Gombe state owned by Alhaji Suleiman Umar. Lessons to be learned are that football is business and a long term investment that is built on well articulated principles, and on a solid foundation that thrives on consistency and competence.
You have just been elected General Secretary Club owners Association. What are you bringing in to make the association more viable?
The Club Owners Association is a collection of Clubs Administrators who are not only representing their clubs in the league but rendering voluntary services in the interest of club football in Nigeria. What I’m bringing to the table is vibrancy, a bridge between the media and the Clubs, one who will project the image of not only the NPL but that of the association. There will be information flow from the association to the media and football fans. I’ll do my best to ensure that we will be speaking with one voice on all matters associated with the Club Owners.
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