By JUDITH MABIA
A delegation of the Spanish League (La Liga) Board will arrive in Nigeria on Monday for a bilateral meeting with the League Management Company (LMC) to conclude discussions on collaboration between the two leagues which began during a similar visit by the LMC to Spain earlier this year.
The LMC Chairman, Shehu Dikko and Hon. Nduka Irabor, the Chief Executive Officer were in Madrid, Spain from February 29 to March 1 for follow-up talks with the La Liga initiated when both Leagues met at the Forum of World Leagues in Germany.
The La Liga delegation will be led by the President, Javier Tebas, International Advisor, Melcior Solar, Head of La Liga South Africa, Antonia Barradas and Fernando Sanz, the Head of La Liga Middle East office and who is in charge of African affairs.
The two Bodies are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding for a partnership that will cover exchange of knowledge, trainings for Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) Club Coaches and Administrators, La Liga and NPFL Clubs’ exchanges, marketing, commercial, promotional activities and Youth Development.
Dikko said the visit is a landmark for the NPFL as it will be a culmination of strategies for extensive and wholesome development of the league.
“As a developing league, we have continuously sought collaborations with some of the global model league management and La Liga is the first of such coming into fruition. There are several benefits that will accrue from this relationship and we intend to tap deeply into their over 25 years of experience of commercialization of football”, said the LMC Chairman.
The delegation which will arrive in Abuja on Monday will pay a courtesy visit to the Hon. Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung and the Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria; will also undertake a tour of the Abuja National Stadium.
…Hails Enyimba’s never-say-die attitude
THE League Management Company (LMC) has lauded Enyimba’s qualification for the Caf Champions League group stage after beating Etoile du Sahel to the ticket on Wednesday at the Olympic Stadium in Sousse.
Chairman of the LMC, Shehu Dikko in a social media post congratulated Enyimba for their show of bravery throughout the encounter while urging Nigerians to take a cue from the People’s Elephant who showed the Nigerian spirits even when many had written them off after the 90 minutes.
“Enyimba have shown the Nigerian spirit today after they qualified at the expense of Etoile du Sahel. Even though they were three goals down but they never collapsed or gave up,” writes Dikko.
“They could have scored the away goal at the 86th minute to win the match but they couldn’t convert the chance that came their way. Even though they were two goals down from the first two penalties in the penalty
shootout still they never gave up and they clawed their way back.
“ They were presented with the opportunity to close up the tie with a penalty conversion in their sixth penalty to win and they lost it but they never surrendered and they got the result by the seventh penalty to win the match.