Football is a worldwide phenomenon, and this is primarily because of the English premier league. Say what you will about the quality of English football, the EPL is still the most watched league in the world, affecting online betting in all corners of the globe.
EPL teams have been working for years to expand their brands beyond the boundaries of the UK; and they have succeeded so far, though most teams have done little more than strike deals that allow them to play one or two games a year with local clubs in other parts of the world.
The deal recently struck between FC Ifeanyi Ubah and West Ham United is interesting because it will further cement the presence of the English Premier league in Africa. FC Ifeanyi Ubah is a football club in Lagos, Nigeria.
The deal they agreed upon recently will allow them to share West Harm United’s Jersey; in other words, in the near future, you can expect to see members of the Lagos-based football club wearing the same Jersey as West Ham united whenever they are playing games at home in the Nigeria Professional Football League.
The Hammers’ uniform features blue shirts and solid white shorts with a light blue trim; both the English Premier League and the Nigeria Professional Football League will highlight the use of this uniform when the deal takes effect next season.
And this isn’t the only feature emerging from negotiations between the NPFL and West Ham United. There has also been talk of both parties expanding their interests in one another’s operations, especially when it comes to variables like scouting, the transfer of players and football development.
One facet that will probably excite many players in the NPFL as well as fans of the league is the prospect of the team going to England during certain times of the year to engage with West Ham in a friendly match.
Of course, one cannot forget all the merchandise both parties will seek to promote in an effort to better optimize the benefits of this deal. Those individuals who were probably a little skeptical about the deal will be happy to know that it was signed officially on Wednesday Night.
The signing took place at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos. There was a lot of pomp and circumstance surrounding the event which attracted notable names such as Doctor Ifeanyi Ubah, the proprietor of FC Ifeanyi Ubah, Angus Kinnear (West Ham United’s Managing Director), Shehu DIkko (Chairman Senate Committee on Sports), Solomon Dalung (representative of the Minister of Youth and Sports) and the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Sports to mention but a few.
Doctor Ubah, during an interview, said that the goal of the deal was to introduce the best practices in the world to the game of football in Nigeria. He encouraged fans of the English Premier League to watch closely as Nigeria’s own league began to emulate the quality of the game seen in London over the next few months.
There is a push in Nigeria to introduce football to children as early as possible in order to produce players on the same level as European Legends like Messi.
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