After week 32 of the Nigeria Premier Football League, the Chairman of the League body Gbenga Elegbeleye,  announced the  suspension of the League to enable Rivers United play its outstanding matches in order not to give them an undeserved advantage over other teams. Then, Rivers United had six outstanding matches. 

The 'Pride of Rivers' had accumulated these numbers of matches due to its involvement in the African Confederation Cup where it reached the last eight before being stopped by defending champion USM Algeria.

Elegbeleye in that announcement said the premier league had resolved to ease Rivers United’s run on the continent by rescheduling its matches.

 

“We couldn’t close our eyes to the need to encourage them by rescheduling games involving them. At the same time, we didn’t want the league to get to Week 36 or 37 where the teams that would be relegated would be known and the possibility of match-fixing won’t arise,” Elegbeleye said.

“By the time Rivers United finished playing their outstanding games, we would be starting on Week 33 for the run-in.” He said the league will resumes on May 25 with games in all the centers.

The NPFL said to ease the logistics of travelling, they fixed dates for the matches based on the proximity of the club’s opponents. Thus, Rivers United will play four straight-away matches at Remo Stars (Matchday 21, May 5), Kwara United (Matchday 23, May 8), Sunshine Stars (Matchday 27, May 11) and Abia Warriors (Matchday 29, May 15). Rivers United will round off their outstanding fixtures with Matchday 22 clash with Niger Tornadoes on May 20.

As soon as the fixtures were released, Rivers United protested to the NPFL, they rejected the whole arrangements to the totality. The League body refused to accept their protest, insisting that they must finished the outstanding games before the league will resume. 

Rivers United was said to have obtained the approval of the Chief sponsor (Rivers State Governor) to take a second look at their continued participation in the League. This Invariably means, they threatened to withdraw from the League if nothing is done. The threat not withstanding, the NPFL stood their ground , and Rivers United played all the matches. As expected, and contrary to the belief of many, Rivers United got four points out of the expected 15 points. They lost 11 points, and maintained their position at the drop zone of the League. 

The questions that continue to prick the minds of many are why do we accumulate matches for teams representing the country in the continent? Are other teams in other climes not playing continental championship, do they have such accumulation of League matches? Can't teams play their matches almost immediately on return from their continental engagements? What advantage do they derived from the accumulation of these League matches? Your guess may be as good as mine. 

Box 18 discovered that this accumulation of league matches are general CAF problem. 

 In other African leagues where teams are are playing in the continent, many of them still have accumulated League matches to play in their respective countries. 

Box 18 observed that in Ghanaian Premier League, as at the time Dreams FC were kicked out of the continent, they  played 24 instead of 27 games, leaving them with three outstanding matches because of the matches in the knockout stages of the Confederations Cup. 

In Egyptian Premier League, both Al hly and Zamalek of Egypt, had 5 outstanding league matches. While Al hly are 5th with 30 points out of the 20 matches played , Zamalek are taking the rear with 24 points from 15 matches played. Only in Tunisia Premier League does Esperance Tunis had completed their matches alongside others. They are presently topping Group A of the League with 31 points from 14 matches played so far in the League.

The implication is that the issue is an African issue which is not being properly managed by the League organisers. Agreed that there are difficulties traveling around African countries which is very hectic and unpredictable. No team traveling to any of the West, East and Central African countries can guarantee a smooth trip to those countries. Air traveling are very chaotic that no one can guarantee anything among these countries. This then, made it impossible for the League organisers to reschedule matches involving clubs playing in the continent almost immediately. 

Be that as it may, many of these clubs especially in Nigeria, request to the League body for the shift of their matches to a very convenient time when the positions of others had been decided. They will now threw everything to their outstanding matches to finish the league in a vantage position. 

The League body also are not firm in their decisions to avoid the accumulation of matches. There is nothing wrong in the NPFL fixing these matches immediately the teams returned from their continental engagements. The "padi padi" approach of the NPFL seems to have become a norm that made Rivers United to threatened to pull out the League. This goes to confirm the saying in the local parlance that "when a bad incident continued unabated, it becomes a tradition". Reason why Rivers United threatened to revolt. Because, that is what is attainable in past. 

Now, that the "Pharaohs that doesn't know Joseph are on throne" , padi, padi syndrome seems to have gone and the beneficiaries of the past are no longer comfortable. 

Box 18 is of the opinion that the NPFL should intensify efforts to work out modalities of stamping out these accumulation of League matches once and for all.