Abdallah proffers solution to lack of funds in the NPFL

Coach of Wikki Tourist Usman Abd’Allah has proffered solution to lack of funds by clubs in the NPFL.

The former Enyimba boss said commercials at the stadium is a viable means of IGR but clubs in the league have failed to utilize this means.

Pitching Bauchi as a case study where fans do turn up en-mass to watch football matches, the soft spoken tactician emphasized that inability to have advertisements by even banks of which clubs transact with is a failure on the parts of the management.

“We take example of Bauchi where I am now. They are the number one now [in terms of number of fans always present at the stadium]. When you look at the stadium is fully packed every single day. In fact, even when we are training it’s almost half packed. Why will you be complaining about finance? I stood in the middle of the pitch and then I look around [but] I haven’t seen any logo of advertisement. What are they doing? Don’t the club have marketing manager? Don’t we have banks that we have transactions with?” He inquired.

Abd’Allah who led Enyimba to a semifinal finish in the 2018 CAF confederation cup before the club parted ways with him January this year due to poor run of form made a similar case for Enyimba.

“I was in Enyimba. I was talking to one of the officials. I stood in the middle of the pitch. I said look around. Help me look around the stadium. He looked [and] said what is it? I said what have you seen? He said Coach, I don’t understand. I said look, have you seen something? He said no. I said all you can see is a blue and white paint that is clean. You can’t pick one single advertisement there. Why wouldn’t you complain of money? This is a team that has been playing at the continental [level] and almost every matches televised all over the world. There is no single advertisement [in the stadium] and yet you are complaining of money?” Ab’Dallah questioned.

Consequently, the Kano state born Nigeria-French coach who is on a six-month contract with Wikki Tourist advised clubs to employ marketing experts with the sole responsibility of generating funds for the club.

“Give the people who knows the job, how to find the money. You can’t sit down and get the money and you don’t have sponsors. Find people that know how to get the money and let them work and do it.” He concluded.

The NPFL is on suspension due to the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic with the NFF stipulating a 4-week period (which began on the 18th of March) before a review of the decision which also affect all football activities nationwide.