Brown Ideye: “NPFL Won’t Improve If We Only Talk About EPL and La Liga”

Nigerian football legend Brown Ideye has spoken honestly to local fans, saying the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) cannot grow if people keep focusing only on European leagues like the English Premier League and La Liga.

“The NPFL will never get better if all we talk about is the EPL and La Liga,” Ideye said.

His comments, shared on social media, have started fresh discussion about why the NPFL is still struggling while foreign leagues remain very popular in Nigeria, according to Footballrover.

“We Must Promote NPFL or Keep Hiding in Shame”

The former Super Eagles striker, who played for clubs like West Brom, Dynamo Kyiv, Olympiacos, and Malaga, didn’t hold back.

“We keep saying we are the best in Africa, but sometimes we have to hide our faces in shame,” he wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) page.

Ideye, who also had a short spell with Enyimba, says it’s disappointing that Nigeria’s top league is still not getting the support it deserves—while fans continue to focus on foreign matches and ignore their own.

NPFL Needs Real Support, Not Just Talk

He asked a direct question:

“You want foreigners to value your country’s players—what have you done to promote them?”

Ideye believes that improving the NPFL is not just about complaints. It needs better branding, stronger media coverage, and more fan involvement.

He pointed out that fans are drawn to leagues like the EPL and La Liga because of quality, good marketing, and consistency. Nigeria’s league must do the same if it wants to win support at home.

“Boasting Is Not Enough”

For Brown Ideye, simply claiming to be the best in Africa means nothing if the NPFL remains poorly promoted and under-supported.

“It’s time to stop hiding,” he said. “If we want the world to respect our league, we must first respect and promote it ourselves.”