Former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Greg Etafia, has linked Nigeria’s early exit from the African Nations Championship (CHAN) to the dwindling standard of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).
The CHAN 2024, a biennial tournament organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for home-based players, once again exposed weaknesses in Nigeria’s domestic game.
The CHAN Eagles crashed out of Group D after suffering consecutive defeats, a 1-0 loss to Senegal and a 4-0 thrashing by Sudan, failing to register a single goal in both matches.
Etafia’s Verdict on the NPFL
Speaking on the team’s poor showing, Etafia emphasised that Nigeria’s local league must be treated with greater importance if the country hopes to compete successfully at CHAN and other competitions.
“You need to treat your local league very well because that’s where you get a lot of talents who eventually move to Europe, North Africa, or the Southern region,” Etafia said.
He pointed out that Nigerian clubs have struggled in CAF competitions in recent years, with most failing to go beyond the preliminary rounds, a trend he believes stunts player growth and limits the CHAN Eagles’ competitiveness.
Call for Stronger Continental Performance
Etafia stressed that when clubs consistently reach the group stages of the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup, the league’s quality improves as more teams raise their standards.
The CHAN Eagles remain bottom of Group D with zero points ahead of their final clash against Congo on August 19.
