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By Kunle Solaja
Earlier, Rivers United and Shooting Stars have been eliminated from the Champions League and the Confederation Cup, respectively.
Reversing the decline will require more than changes of coaches or expressions of disappointment; it demands fundamental reform of the domestic game.
The question confronting the nation’s football authorities is no longer whether the domestic game is declining, but how far it has fallen and what must be done to reverse the trend.
The latest exits from the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup have completed another disappointing campaign for Nigerian clubs in continental competition.
Rangers, one of Nigeria’s most decorated clubs, saw their Champions League hopes shattered by Algeria’s MC Alger, who overturned a two-goal first-leg deficit to win 3-0 in the return leg and advance 3-2 on aggregate. The defeat was particularly painful because it reproduced the circumstances of the 1976 African Cup of Champions’ Clubs semi-final, when the Algerians similarly erased a 2-0 Rangers advantage to win 3-2 on aggregate.
El Kanemi Warriors, meanwhile, travelled to Casablanca with hopes of building on their 2-2 first-leg draw against Morocco’s Raja Club Athletic. But two late goals condemned the Nigerian side to a 2-0 defeat, handing the two-time Confederation Cup champions a 4-2 aggregate victory and a place in the group stage.
Two Nigerian clubs, two continental competitions, two exits—and a familiar sense that Nigeria’s domestic football is struggling to compete with the continent’s more organised and increasingly ambitious football nations.
These defeats are not merely isolated results. They are symptoms of a deeper problem that has been allowed to persist through successive seasons, administrative regimes and reform promises.
There was a time when Nigerian clubs commanded considerable respect in African football. Rangers were continental champions in the 1977 African Cup Winners’ Cup, while Shooting Stars of Ibadan reached the final of the African Cup of Champions’ Clubs in 1984 and won the African Cup Winners’ Cup in 1976. Enyimba subsequently won the CAF Champions League in 2003 and 2004, establishing themselves as one of Africa’s leading club sides.
Those achievements were not accidents. They reflected periods when Nigerian clubs could assemble competitive squads, nurture exceptional talent and sustain performances against the best teams on the continent.
Today, that history offers a painful contrast with the present reality.
The problem is not that Nigerian clubs can never lose to Algerian or Moroccan opposition. Both countries possess strong football traditions and competitive domestic structures. Nor should every continental defeat automatically be interpreted as proof of institutional failure.
The concern is the recurring inability of Nigerian representatives to progress deep into African competitions and challenge consistently for honours.
When clubs from Nigeria repeatedly struggle against opponents who appear better prepared tactically, more settled administratively and more effective in managing decisive moments, the issue extends beyond individual matches.
Rangers’ collapse against MC Alger was especially revealing. A two-goal advantage should have provided a platform for a calculated and disciplined performance. Instead, the Nigerian side conceded three unanswered goals, allowing the Algerians to reproduce a historic comeback.
El Kanemi’s late defeat in Casablanca presented a different but equally troubling picture: the Nigerian club remained competitive for much of the match but could not prevent Raja from deciding the tie in the closing stages.
The details differed, but the outcome was the same. Nigerian clubs departed while their opponents advanced.
Any serious examination of the decline must begin with the Nigeria Premier Football League and the wider domestic club system.
A country cannot sustainably produce continental contenders when its domestic league struggles to provide the conditions required for elite performance.
Professional football demands more than talented players and enthusiastic supporters. Clubs need predictable financing, competent management, quality coaching, modern training facilities, reliable medical support, effective scouting and a properly organised competition calendar.
Where clubs struggle to meet basic operational obligations, planning becomes difficult. Recruitment can become reactive, coaches may be dismissed before their methods take effect, and players can be distracted by uncertainties over wages and other contractual commitments.
Continental competition offers little room for such instability. Clubs must prepare for demanding travel schedules, unfamiliar environments, tactical challenges and opponents who may have spent years building a coherent footballing identity.
The contrast is particularly stark when Nigerian teams travel to countries where leading clubs enjoy more stable financial backing, better facilities and stronger institutional support.
The answer cannot simply be to demand that Nigerian players show more commitment. Players cannot compensate indefinitely for weaknesses in the systems that employ and prepare them.
The NPFL must become a stronger product, not merely a competition that produces teams to represent Nigeria in Africa.
One of the most persistent weaknesses in Nigerian football is the gap between the language of professionalism and the realities of club administration.
Many clubs depend heavily on state governments, with their finances, leadership and long-term plans vulnerable to changes in political priorities. Public ownership is not inherently incompatible with success, but political supervision without sound commercial and professional structures can undermine continuity.
A club’s future should not depend on the preferences of an incoming governor or the changing priorities of a government department.
The way forward is to insist on professional club governance, transparent budgets, audited accounts, timely payment of salaries and clear lines of responsibility. Clubs should publish annual reports covering revenue, expenditure, player development and sporting performance.
The NPFL and the Nigeria Football Federation must also enforce licensing standards meaningfully. Clubs should not be permitted to enter competitions on the strength of their names alone if they cannot demonstrate that they meet minimum financial, administrative and infrastructural requirements.
Where standards are breached, sanctions must be consistent. Where clubs demonstrate sound governance and invest in sustainable structures, the league should reward them with greater commercial opportunities and institutional support.
Professionalism cannot be a slogan invoked at the beginning of a season and forgotten when enforcement becomes inconvenient.
The condition of football infrastructure is another obstacle to progress.
A good stadium is important, but elite clubs require much more than a venue for weekend matches. They need well-maintained training pitches, gymnasiums, recovery facilities, medical rooms, video-analysis equipment and suitable accommodation for players during preparation periods.
Training on poor surfaces and playing on uneven pitches can affect technique, tactical execution and injury prevention. Inadequate recovery facilities can also undermine performance when teams face congested schedules.
Infrastructure investment must therefore extend beyond the ceremonial renovation of stadiums before major events.
Nigeria needs a sustained programme to improve club training grounds and establish regional high-performance centres accessible to professional teams and emerging talent. Such facilities should be supported by maintenance budgets and measurable performance standards.
The objective is to create an environment in which Nigerian clubs can train and prepare at a level comparable to their continental rivals.
Nigeria has no shortage of football talent. The country continues to produce technically gifted and physically capable players who attract attention from clubs abroad.
Yet the availability of talent has not translated into consistent continental success for domestic clubs.
Part of the problem is the relationship between player development and the economics of Nigerian football. Clubs often operate under financial pressure, making the sale of promising players an attractive or necessary source of income. Transfers can be beneficial, but a system built around the premature loss of its best players will struggle to maintain competitive continuity.
There is also a need to strengthen youth development. Academies should not exist merely to identify players for overseas transfers. They should provide structured coaching, education, sports science, nutrition and clear progression into senior football.
The NPFL must encourage clubs to invest in young players and build teams capable of competing over several seasons. Better domestic development would improve the quality of the league, expand the pool available to national teams and create a more sustainable transfer market.
Coaching education is equally important. Modern African football is increasingly shaped by pressing systems, compact defensive structures, transitions, set-piece preparation and sophisticated analysis of opponents.
Nigerian clubs must invest in coaches who understand these demands and have the authority and time to implement their ideas.
The repeated appointment and dismissal of coaches without a coherent long-term plan only perpetuates instability.
The successes of Raja Club Athletic and MC Alger provide an opportunity for Nigerian football to examine what its rivals are doing differently.
Their victories do not, by themselves, prove that every aspect of Moroccan or Algerian football is superior. However, their ability to navigate high-pressure continental ties illustrates the importance of preparation, organisation, experience and effective game management.
Nigeria should study how leading clubs in those countries recruit players, develop young talent, organise technical departments, use scouting and video analysis, engage supporters and generate commercial income.
The objective should not be to copy another country’s model wholesale. It should be to identify practices that can be adapted to Nigerian conditions.
For instance, clubs could develop stronger scouting networks within their regions, maintain reliable databases of players and opponents, employ specialist analysts and build recruitment policies around defined tactical requirements rather than short-term popularity.
Continental experience should also be valued when assembling squads. Players who understand how to manage a lead, respond to pressure and perform away from home can be particularly important in two-legged knockout competitions.
The Rangers and El Kanemi exits underline the importance of these qualities. Matches are not decided solely by the number of talented players on the pitch; they are also decided by how effectively teams manage critical periods.
The financial weakness of Nigerian club football cannot be solved entirely through government allocations.
The NPFL needs to build a more attractive commercial proposition for sponsors, broadcasters, digital platforms and supporters. This requires reliable scheduling, credible competition management, better match presentation, improved stadium experiences and consistent access to match coverage.
Sponsors are more likely to invest when they can identify a stable audience, measurable returns and dependable delivery of contractual obligations.
Clubs must also develop their own revenue streams through sponsorship, merchandise, membership schemes, hospitality, ticketing and partnerships with local businesses. Such initiatives will not immediately rival the finances of Africa’s wealthiest clubs, but they can reduce dependence on a single source of funding.
Television and digital coverage deserve particular attention. A league whose matches are difficult to follow will struggle to grow its audience or attract significant commercial investment.
The NPFL should pursue broadcast agreements that make matches accessible while protecting the value of its rights. Digital platforms can help clubs build loyal communities, showcase young players and offer sponsors measurable exposure.
However, commercial growth must be accompanied by transparency. Investors and sponsors need confidence that agreements will be honoured and that the competition is managed professionally.
The Nigeria Football Federation and the NPFL cannot escape scrutiny.
The NFF has responsibility for the broader football environment, including regulations, development pathways and the country’s representation in continental and international football. The league administrator must ensure that domestic competitions are professionally organised and that clubs operate under enforceable standards.
Neither institution can directly determine every result on the pitch. But both can shape the conditions in which clubs prepare, recruit, compete and develop players.
Reform should begin with a comprehensive review of Nigerian clubs’ recent continental performances. Rather than dismissing each elimination as an unfortunate result, the authorities should examine recurring weaknesses: preparation periods, squad continuity, travel arrangements, player availability, coaching stability, infrastructure and financial management.
The findings should be published, with specific recommendations, responsible institutions and measurable deadlines.
Club licensing must be strengthened, youth development supported and league administration made more predictable. The NFF and NPFL should also work with club owners, state governments, sponsors, coaches and players to establish a common programme for raising standards.
Crucially, reform must survive changes in leadership. Nigerian football has heard many promises of improvement. What it needs is a system in which progress can be measured, and failure carries consequences.
Arresting the decline will require a phased programme rather than a single sweeping announcement.
In the immediate term, the NPFL and NFF should review the latest continental campaign, identify operational shortcomings and establish minimum standards for clubs representing Nigeria.
Over the next two to three seasons, the priority should be to strengthen club licensing, enforce financial obligations, improve training facilities, invest in coaching and sports science, and establish more reliable league scheduling.
At the same time, clubs should be encouraged to develop youth academies, improve recruitment and build stable technical departments. Commercial partnerships and better broadcast distribution can then provide a stronger financial foundation for sustained investment.
Progress must be measured by more than trophies. Relevant indicators include the number of Nigerian clubs reaching continental group stages and knockout rounds, the consistency of youth development, the quality of domestic facilities, the financial stability of clubs and the ability of the league to retain and develop players.
These measures would make it possible to distinguish genuine improvement from temporary success.
The latest eliminations should serve as a warning, not a verdict on the potential of Nigerian football.
Rangers remain a historic institution. El Kanemi Warriors have demonstrated that Nigerian clubs can compete with established continental opponents. Their defeats do not erase their achievements or diminish the commitment of their players and supporters.
But history and potential cannot substitute for institutional strength.
When MC Alger overturned Rangers’ two-goal advantage in a manner reminiscent of 1976, the result exposed the gulf between nostalgia and present-day competitiveness. When Raja scored twice late against El Kanemi, it showed how quickly a promising continental campaign can unravel against an organised and determined opponent.
The challenge is to ensure that these outcomes provoke meaningful action rather than another round of lamentation.
Nigeria has the population, talent, football culture and commercial potential to produce clubs capable of challenging for African honours. What remains in question is whether its football institutions can organise those advantages into a sustainable system.
The road back will not be short. It will require investment, discipline, accountability and the willingness to confront uncomfortable truths about how the domestic game is run.
Nigerian club football does not need another declaration of intent. It needs a functioning system that makes continental success a realistic consequence of good preparation, sound management and sustained investment—not an occasional exception to the rule.
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