The Nation Newspaper

Tag: APFON

  • Players’ union dispute: APFON may shun NFF parley

    Players’ union dispute: APFON may shun NFF parley

    The Association of Professional Footballers of Nigeria (APFON), the country’s official players’ union, has demanded for more clarification on a proposed meeting called by NFF with another body NANF today in Lagos.

    In a letter dated 26th November 2015 and addressed to NFF general secretary and copied the executive board members of the NFF, APFON said: “The Union has asked for more clarification on the agenda of the meeting. APFON has observed with great concern the invitation of another body NANF which was expelled by the world Players Union body FIFPRO since November 2008, through a letter dated 20th November 2009, signed by the General Secretary of FIFPRO AFRICA Division, Stephane Burchkalter, sent to APFON and copied the Nigeria Football Federation, as part of the meeting to discuss the facilitation of the real protection of the interest of Nigeria Players as contained in the NFF letter.

    “As a responsible body which believes in the rule of law and in strict adherence to the position of  FIFPRO on the status of the Players’ Union in Nigeria, the Union finds it unethical and unprofessional to attend a meeting with a body that has already been expelled by the world players’ body.

    “The Players Union further emphasisedthe fact that the NFF do not need another external  body outside the official players Union affiliated to the NFF to discuss the facilitation of the protection of Players rights and interest in Nigeria

    “In view of the foregoing,  APFON can’t guarantee its presence in the meeting until the issues raised in our response to NFF invitation are clarified.”

  • NFF crisis: Players, managers boycott league

    NFF crisis: Players, managers boycott league

    Players and top club managers have joined a boycott of the Nigeria league just as the Nigeria Football Federation has insisted matches will be played this weekend.

    The League Management Company (LMC) announced the league has been postponed till further notice after the country’s referees said they will no longer handle matches until the crisis rocking Nigerian football is resolved.

    The country’s players’ union, APFON, has also directed its members to stay away from league matches till further notice, africanFootball.com reports.

    “The players union, after a thorough evaluation of the current situation in Nigeria football as a result of the kangaroo and purported election into the executive committee of the Nigeria Football Federation held on  August 26, 2014, that brought Chris Giwa as NFF president, the players’ union hereby directs all Nigeria footballers in the various leagues to boycott all league matches with immediate effect to protest the illegality of the purported elections,” africanFootball.com quoted APFON as saying in a statement signed by its president ,Dahiru Sadi.

    However, Chris Giwa, who claims to have been elected new NFF president on Tuesday, said matches slated for this weekend will go ahead.

    “It has come to our notice that the League Management Company has been issuing notices to clubs in the Premier League that matches are being suspended from this weekend,” said Giwa.

    “This is totally untrue. If the LMC received a notice from the Nigeria Referees Association about purported withdrawal of referees, the LMC should have brought this to the notice of the NFF and not to take a decision to suspend the league on its own.”

    He expressed his unhappiness with the NRA for the threat to withdraw referees from the Premier League and said the NFF would not take the matter lightly.

  • …Your list is biased – Sadi

    …Your list is biased – Sadi

    The President of the Association of Nigerian Footballers (APFON) Dahiru Sadi has criticised Stephen Keshi’s 23-man World Cup list.

    Sadi questioned Keshi’s choice of players from a particular player agency

    “When I saw the list I was shocked. Imagine all players from GBS player agency owned by Tony Harris were picked; Rueben Gabriel, Michael Uchebo and Uche Nwofor, while Nosa Igiebor was dropped. Unbelievable!,” he told SL10

    When reminded that Nwofor has a good strike rate in the Eagles, scoring three times in five games, the former Eckerlor of Belgium forward responded with a reminder of Bartholomew Ogbechi in 2002.

    “To me, if Nwofor is as good as most people judge him by his strike rate, why is he not a starter at Hereenveen? How come he last played for them in November 2013? Look, he reminds me so much of Ogbeche in 2002 who took the pre-World Cup friendly by storm only to get missing at the World Cup.”

    Dahiru Sadi also was unhappy with Keshi over the inclusion of Babatunde Michael at the expense of Ejike Uzoenyi.

    He said: “I gather Chigozie Agbim and Rueben Gabriel were favoured by Keshi because he started the World Cup qualifiers with them as integral members of his team, if so be it, Uzoenyi also deserve to be in the team.”

    “It’s a shame that the MVP at CHAN was dropped for a bench warmer for a modest team in Ukraine; Babatunde Michael’s inclusion is the height of Keshi’s bias in his 23-man World Cup list,” he alleged.

  • APFON commends Okenla over Eboigbe

    APFON commends Okenla over Eboigbe

    The Association of Professional Footballers of Nigeria (APFON) has expressed deep appreciation to former international professional footballer Folorunso Okenla for his moral and financial support rendered to erstwhile Green Eagles defender Sunday Eboigbe who is suffering from a stroke attack.

    “The union appreciate the visit and donation of N200,000 to Sunday Eboigbe by Okenla as reported in the media . The union also thanks the ex-international for his kind gesture and advice other ex and current players who are financially well positioned to emulate the footsteps of Okenla by being their brothers’ keeper.

    “Further more, the players union challenge our football administrators to be more proactive and sensitive to the welfare of Nigeria footballers and support the union’s various initiatives towards ensuring better welfare packages, such as the professional footballers welfare and pension schemes, including the Football for Hope Match packaged by the union to raise fund to address the various health and welfare challenges of some current and ex footballers, the likes of Peter Fregene, Sunday Eboigbe, Sylvester Egboge, Stanly Okoronkwo just to mention a few.

    “The Football for Hope Match is expected to be played in December and June 2014 between Home-based Nigeria professional footballers playing against thier foreign based colleagues.

     

  • APFON celebrates league broadcast sponsorship

    Association of Professional Footballers of Nigeria ( APFON) has expressed delight at the recently announced broadcast sponsorship deal between the League Management Company (LMC) and SuperSport for the Nigeria Professional Football League ( NPFL). The four-year sponsorship is worth $34m and will accommodate terrestrial broadcast stations to rebroadacst signals of live matches from the satellite channel.

    Austin Popo, Secretary of APFON, described the new deal as another major step towards securing a rewarding career for active Nigerian football players.

    “We welcome this partnership and wish to praise LMC and SuperSport for this partnership which has liberated the League from the clutches of profiteers who in the last seven years have fed fat on the sweat of Nigerian players,” Popo stated.

    He said the expectation of the players’ union is that their members will be beneficiaries of the proceeds of the sponsorship through enhanced welfare packages at their clubs. “APFON sees a brighter future for the Nigerian player not only in terms of improved welfare but also in the expected windows of opportunities to the global football family that will be seeing the abundant qualities that abound in Nigeria.”

    The League broadcast deal has been a subject of media speculation since 2006 with conflicting figures being debated as the rights fee paid through a third party to the defunct Nigeria Football League and Popo says, “today we have a deal whose value has been declared to the public and no middle agencies.” He praised members of the LMC for the foresight and courage to break away from a past that exploited a public asset.

    APFON, he said, is urging the clubs to work with the LMC towards achieving full commercial exploitation of the Nigeria Professional Football League assets to expand the scope of accruable gains in job creation and improved returns for all stakeholders.

  • APFON: LMC should compel clubs to settle players, coaches debts

    The Association of Professional Footballers of Nigeria (APFON) has commended the efforts of the League Management Committee (LMC), and urged it to strive to further improve on the welfare of players.

    A statement signed by Austin Popo, the Chairman of APFON, in Lagos on Friday acknowledged the turn-around being effected in the running of the league, but appealed to the LMC to ensure that the entitlements of players and coaches were settled.

    It urged the LMC to deduct the money at source and settle the players and coaches, in accordance with the Arbitration Panel decisions of 2010. It noted that the efforts of the league body would not make significant impact on the game, if the issue of players’ welfare were not addressed.

    The statement added that the clubs had not shown good faith and willingness to comply with arbitration decisions.

    According to the statement, 15 clubs were listed as having failed to comply with the rules and regulation.

    The clubs are: Akwa United, Rangers International, Enyimba, Bayelsa United, Nasarawa FC, Kano Pillars and Wikki Tourist. Others include Sunshine Stars, Sharks, Dolphin, El Kanemi Warriors, Heartland, Warri Wolves and Niger Tornadoes.