Night-time Football Fever grips Nigerians

30,000 fans were at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, venue of the NPFL game between Enugu Rangers and Nasarawa United … on April 22

The introduction of night-time football by the LMC has turned out to be a masterstroke as the games have attracted unimaginable crowds with club sides wowing fans with entertaining football.

Have you watched a Nigerian Professional Football League match at night? If you haven’t, then you probably haven’t watched the best of the ever-improving domestic league.

For starters, the mood at the night games, which were introduced this season by the League Management Company, have been electrifying, with fans in festive mood watching football under floodlights in various venues across the country.

Before now, playing football at night was almost unthinkable, not with the poor state of stadiums, epileptic power supply and the growing economic and security concerns across the country.

When the idea was first mooted, it was expected when some expressed fears that the night games would not attract fans because of their safety before, during and after the matches.

Actually, the Nest of Champions, as the Uyo stadium is known, was chosen for the first Friday night game between Akwa United and Nasarawa United last season.

But the first team to host a game at night this season were Premier League debutants Mountain of Fire and Miracles against former champions Kano Pillars at the Agege stadium in Lagos.

“It wasn’t easy; I had to pray all night. That was the first time in almost three decades that we were playing a league night game in Lagos. And the question I asked was ‘Why should it be MFM? Why should it be me?’” sports broadcaster and MFM chairman, Godwin Enakhena, said.

But he was amazed at the turnout of fans, who were twice more than the 5,000 capacity the stadium could accommodate. Football lovers from all spheres of life including families came in their numbers to watch the game, which has now been described as one of the best in the 2015/16 season.

Families and fans watching night matches at different venues

Pillars captain Rabiu Ali’s 63rd minute penalty ensured the match ended 1-1 after Stanley Okorom’s first half strike put the Olukoya Boys ahead.

“The big surprise is that we had about 10,000 fans at the venue. It was a delight to watch. I was excited and when the game ended, I had to thank God for making it a huge success despite the odds,” he stated.

What were the odds?

“We didn’t make any money despite the large turnout of fans and at some point, Lagosians threatened to pull down the stadium gates,” Enakhena added. “They wanted to watch football. Nigerians love football; they scaled the fence. We had bouncers and different people to curb the fans but they couldn’t cope.

“And the LMC advised me to throw the gates open. I threw open the popular sides. Everywhere was packed; it was an excitement for everybody. The LMC sent me a letter congratulating the club for the success.

“That wasn’t the end; we also had to play another night game against Wikki Tourists, which was also a sellout. Of course with the lessons we learnt from the first game, the second wasn’t as difficult as the first one.”

The MFM boss said security was not a problem, as the Lagos State Government lent the club a helping hand in their efforts to intensify security at the Agege stadium and its environs.

“The initial challenge I had was against Pillars. It was a challenge because we were scared due to security reasons. Some said Agege was populated by people from the northern part of Nigeria and because of the terrorism cases in that region, they were afraid.

“We thus worked with the Lagos State Football Association and the Chairman of the Lagos State Sports

Commission, Deji Tinubu. Eventually, the Chief Security Officer to the Lagos governor was specifically detailed to be the CSO at the gate and he was physically there. We had the anti-bomb squad as well, so everything was taken care of,” he added.

Chairman, LMC, Shehu Dikko, said the idea of the night games was to create a comfortable atmosphere for fans while watching league games.

“Our weather is different; it could be very hot in the afternoon, so people are more comfortable watching night games because of the cool weather. We thus made up our minds that we would give it a shot and last season we did a few games,” Dikko stated.

Harry Iwuala, LMC’s Head of Special Projects, said the Friday Night Games were specifically meant to help football-loving Nigerians relax after working throughout week and also showcase the quality of facilities at match venues across the country.

Iwuala stated, “Over the years we’ve been considering ideas on how to make Nigerians watch the domestic league games in the face of the challenges of the EPL and the other European leagues. We tried to balance the already existing passion for foreign football and rekindle the passion which once existed for Nigerian football.

“One of the things we thought of was that since most of the European football games were played on Saturdays, we could have Friday and Monday night games, particularly on Friday when people would have returned from their offices and places of businesses. We thought it would give them the opportunity to relax after working throughout the week.

“Aside from getting people do their businesses and still watch football, the night games were also meant to get people watch European football and still watch our own football as well.

“We also thought it was an opportunity to showcase some of the infrastructure in the league. For instance, some think that floodlights don’t work in Nigerian stadiums.

“It is also an opportunity for a place like Lagos to tap into their tourist opportunities, and to show that Agege is a place you can go at night and still go home without molestation. So, it’s a big endorsement for the cities that the games have held because we now know that they have the infrastructure to support football.”

On security at match venues during the night, Iwuala said they have been working with the police and states’ officials to good effect.

He added, “When we talked about security fears, it wasn’t about security around the stadium. Issues of pockets of violence at the stadium are internally engineered. If you check your records, you will realise that anytime there is violence at the stadium, it’s directed at match officials; it’s hardly ever been between opposing fans like you have in Europe, where opposing hooligans engage each other at the stadium, on the streets and wherever they find themselves.

“Our fear was about the general security situation in the country, which everybody was talking about and we tried to work with the police. Where there is a crowd of about 100 people, the police is interested in putting an extra eye on it. That helped us as well.

“What we did was to work with the LSFA and the authorities in the other cities the matches held. So, the same way security is provided when there is a political rally or social gathering, that’s the same way security is provided at match venues. No extra thing was done.”

Other matches have been successfully held at night as well. Enugu Rangers defeated Nasarawa United 2-1 at home before 30,000 fans while Enyimba beat Akwa United 1-0 at the Uyo Stadium.

Enyimba goalkeeper Theophilus Afelokhai was in goal on the night the champions beat Akwa United and he says it’s a moment he relishes and urges the NPFL to add more night games on its calendar.

He stated, “Playing football at night is exciting for the players because it’s the right time to play the game. The night weather is quite different from what you have during the day.

“In Uyo, the security was tight and of course Enyimba and Akwa fans are not known to be violent. We celebrated with our fans inside the Uyo stadium and nothing happened to us, even though it was in the night. If our fans can understand this, then we will all enjoy night football in the country.”

Afelokhai was the hero in Sousse, Tunisia, three weeks ago, as Enyimba overcame Etoile du Sahel to advance to the money-spinning group stage of the CAF Champions League. After aggregate score stood at 3-3, the keeper rose to the occasion as he saved three penalties to help the People’s Elephants through.

The game was played at night in harsh weather conditions and Afelokhai says with the new LMC innovation, Nigerian sides would find it easier playing against North African foes, who most times fix their games at night.

“Night games will help us on the continent. Honestly, night football affects Nigerian teams when they play in the Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup against North African opponents, who normally play their games at night. A lot of the players don’t know how to adjust when they play there for the first time. Now, it won’t be a new thing for the players again,” Afelokhai added.

Sports journalist and domestic league expert Clement Nwankpa believes the night games will further put the NPFL in the front burner, saying the matches, especially those on Fridays, will be played at prime time.

“One Friday night, I was in Jos with some friends and there was no football game of note on TV. Then somebody remembered there was an NPFL game that night in Enugu between Rangers and Nasarawa. We tuned in and had fun. The consensus was that our league had come of age. The atmosphere and large turn-out in that game was very commendable. You could think it was one of those European league nights,” Nwankpa stated.

Shehu Adamu, a resident of Agege, who deals in local fabrics, cannot wait to enjoy another game between MFM and a northern team at night.

“I enjoyed myself when MFM played Pillars. A lot of us from the North were at the stadium to cheer Pillars to victory. In fact, we were even more than MFM fans and I am happy our support helped Pillars snatch a draw. When next another northern team will play MFM, I’m praying it will be at night, because by then, a lot of us would have finished our businesses and ready to cheer our team to victory,” Adamu said.

Another fan, who came with his family to watch the MFM-Pillars game, Joseph Chukwuma, said, “Most Friday nights I go to night clubs to relax after working throughout the week. But my family would be left at home. I have been thinking of how to take my wife and kids out, when I learnt that there was a game at night at the Agege stadium.

“I was apprehensive because of the security situation but a friend convinced me that adequate security arrangement had been put in place. That is why I came to watch the game with my family and nothing happened to us.”

So, how do clubs, who are used to playing under scorching conditions, been able to adapt to playing football at night?

“We had to train two nights before our game with Pillars,” Enakhena said. “It wasn’t an easy experience for them (players) but they had to braze up for the occasion and we all enjoyed it.”

He believes despite the security concerns in the North; it’s a matter of time before teams from the region also start playing games at night.

“It’s a wonderful experience and what we are asking for is that it should go round. Uyo has done, it’s been done in Enugu, and so we are waiting for the North to also host the games.

“I think because of the peculiar nature of that part of the country, the LMC is bidding its time so that they don’t just rush the games there and make a mistake,” Enakhena added.

Dikko corroborates Enakhena’s stance om hosting the games in the northern part of Nigeria.

“There was a time that we scheduled a game in Kano but something came up and we couldn’t do it. The recent game between Kano Pillars and Enyimba was initially planned as a night game but because of the UEFA Champions League, we had to shift it. But surely some games will be played in the North,” he said.

“During the Super-4 in Kaduna, two games were played at night and it was good. Now so many clubs are telling us that want to play night games.”

Dikko is also excited with the economic benefits the night games have brought to cities where they have been played.

He added, “There is so much economic activities when these games are played at night. For instance after the game in Enugu on a Friday night, the entire city was booming. All the entertainment places were busy. People stopped at places before they got home. Therefore the food sellers, hotel and even taxis worked all through. “Now Enugu Rangers want to play all their games at night. They had even planned to play their last game at night but now want to start with the Heartland match.

“If you can get 50,000 people every Friday and Saturday nights, and they go out after the games and cool down for the weekend, it makes the venue’s economy boom.”