By Mukhtar Sagir Dambatta
A FIFA-licenced football agent, Dr Drew Uyi, says Nigerian football clubs’ struggles to secure away victories reflect deeper structural challenges within the country’s football ecosystem.
Uyi, who is also a Sports Marketing Consultant, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday.
He attributed the inability of many Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) clubs to consistently win away matches to challenges affecting the overall development of the domestic game and not a lack of talent.
According to him, significant differences in stadium infrastructure and playing conditions across the country continued to influence match outcomes.
“The quality of infrastructure differs significantly from one venue to another. Players often have to adapt to poor pitches, inadequate training facilities and varying stadium conditions, which naturally affect performance.
“Football should be decided by quality and tactics, not by who adapts better to difficult playing surfaces,” he said.
Uyi also identified travel and welfare as major obstacles, noting that long road journeys, poor logistics, limited recovery time and inadequate accommodation often leave players physically exhausted before matches.
He said that modern football required improved sports science, effective recovery programmes and efficient travel arrangements to optimise players’ performance.
The football expert further said the psychological approach of players to away fixtures also contributed to poor results.
He explained that many teams go into away matches with a defensive mentality due to the long-standing perception that winning on the road was extremely difficult.
According to him, clubs should build a stronger winning mentality through experienced coaching, sports psychology and effective leadership within their squads.
On officiating, Uyi said although refereeing standards had improved over the years, stakeholders must continue to promote transparency, accountability and continuous education for match officials.
“The credibility of the league depends on public confidence in fair officiating,” he said.
He urged clubs to invest beyond player recruitment by strengthening sports science departments, improving travel and welfare arrangements, enhancing players’ mental resilience and adopting data driven performance analysis.
Uyi called on government and private sector partners to sustain investment in quality stadium infrastructure across the country.
He said that, in spite of the NPFL having made encouraging progress in recent seasons, consistent away victories were necessary for Nigerian clubs to become more competitive in domestic and continental competitions.
According to him, creating an environment where every team has a fair opportunity to compete irrespective of venue will strengthen the league, improve its commercial value and boost confidence among fans, sponsors and investors. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
MSD/JPE
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Edited by Joseph Edeh
