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“Foreign Players Aren’t the Solution” — Mahbubat Salaudeen Challenges Olanrewaju’s Take After Rivers United’s CAF Exit
Writer and poet Mahbubat Salaudeen has challenged Rivers United assistant coach Yemi Olanrewaju’s argument that Nigerian football needs more foreign players to compete effectively at the continental and international levels.
Olanrewaju, speaking after Rivers United’s CAF Champions League elimination by FC San Pedro, had argued that foreign players are essential to the development of a competitive league.
“No league will survive without foreigners. The English Premier League didn’t do well until the Cantonás and the Thierry Henrys started coming in.”
However, Salaudeen believes bringing in foreign players is not the immediate solution to the challenges facing Nigerian football.
Sports247 reports, according to the writer, while foreign recruitment could potentially benefit the Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) in the long term, the priority should currently be on exposing domestic clubs and players to a higher level of competition.
“Bringing in foreign players isn’t the solution Nigerian football needs. It may work, but that will be in the long term when the clubs have the money or are willing to spend,” Salaudeen argued.
She instead called for NPFL clubs to regularly play tougher opponents in international friendly matches, stressing that such exposure would help Nigerian players and teams become better prepared for continental competition.
Salaudeen pointed to the recent experience of Nigeria’s women’s U20 national team as an example of the importance of competing against technically superior opposition.
“The Nigeria women U20 national team faced academies/players they were technically better than and somehow we’re disappointed they lost two of their games in the group stage?” she questioned.
For Salaudeen, the problem goes beyond results. She believes Nigerian teams need to consistently test themselves against opponents who operate at a higher technical and tactical level before entering major international competitions.
“They will lose to England too because those girls are not technically prepared for the level of competition needed to excel against such opponents,” she added.
Her comments have reignited the debate over the best pathway for improving Nigerian football, with questions surrounding player development, competitive exposure, club investment and the role of foreign players in the NPFL.
While Olanrewaju sees quality foreign imports as part of the evolution of successful leagues, Salaudeen’s argument places greater emphasis on improving the competitive environment around Nigerian clubs and ensuring domestic players are regularly exposed to stronger opposition.
The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has lashed out at the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, saying it cannot hide the failures of President Bola Tinubu.
This is contained in a statement by the party's National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, on Monday.
The ADC was replying to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake over his attack on the party.
According to the ADC, the irresponsible falsehood of the ruling party cannot hide Tinubu's failures in government.
DAILY POST reports that Alake had earlier said that the ADC has nothing to offer Nigerians.
In response, the ADC said Alake should focus on his ministry, instead of defending Tinubu's failures with lies and propaganda.
According to the opposition, Nigerians are suffering under Tinubu and no amount of lies by APC will hide the hunger and hardship in the country.
It further said that Tinubu has failed in the economy, security and governance and Nigerians will vote him out in 2027.
"The ADC categorically rejects this allegation as an irresponsible falsehood, deliberately concocted to mislead Nigerians and distract attention from the monumental failures of the Tinubu administration.
"If the APC has any credible evidence to support its claims, it should produce it rather than continue to insult Nigerians with fabricated stories masquerading as press statements," the ADC said in the statement.
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