The crisis that followed the screening of players participating in the NPFL-LaLiga Under 15 Promises Tournament in Abuja has been resolved as teams involved have resolved to continue their participation in the tournament.
The timely intervention of Nigeria’s ex- international football star and Laliga Ambassador to Nigeria Mutiu Adepoju saved what would have been a huge embarrassment to the Nigeria Professional Football League, the organisers of the tournament.
Some of the teams in the quarter finals of the tournament,including Bendel Insurance, Akwa Utd,Kwara Utd and Delta Force had protested against the Abuja screening which they said depleted their teams.
According to the coaches of the aggrieved clubs, screening had been done with at Asaba and zonal centres before the competition started and wondered why the organisers subjected their teams to another round of screening without prior notice to allow them prepare fresh players to feel the gap. The coaches also cited a case of injustice in the Abuja screening process, alleging that a particular influential club from the north were given preferential treatment to the disadvantage of the rest. They questioned why the LMC officials in charge of the screening allowed only that northern club introduced fresh players into their team and withdrew certificates of some players of other teams who went through the first and second screening in Asaba and zonal centres.
The affected clubs planned to abandon the tournament because of the perceived injustice but the Laliga Ambassador waded into the case and addressed the issues by advising the LMC officials to readmit those they wrongly screened out and remove those that did not pass through the first and second screening processes.
The Laliga Ambassador Adepoju advised the participants not to see the tournament as must win one,maintaining that the essence of the tournament is to grow Nigeria football by identifying potential football stars and nurture them for the good of the country. He noted that the aim of the tournament had already been achieved even before the end of it as they have discovered many talents .
