GLO PREMIER LEAGUE Enyimba: It’s Triumph for Nigeria Football

Bar the pitch invasion which almost marred the trophy presentation ceremony at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Nigeria's 2014/2015 Professional Football League season finished in much the way most would have wanted.
Not only did the best team emerge champions, the football was of stirring quality.

Champions Enyimba finished the season in typically resolute fashion, holding Sunshine Stars to a sparkling goalless draw in Lagos.

Both Sunshine's Dele Olrundare and Enyimba's Mfon Udoh crashed the woodwork at different times in a game that reflected the entertainment thrown up by the outcome season.
And there was plenty to shout about.

Over the last few years, the Nigeria Premier League has drawn flak for various reasons, ranging from compromised referees, empty stands, crowd violence and assault on officials to dodgy results and more.

All of that has been changing in the last few years, and the past season represented even more significant improvements.
From a football point of view, most of the games were of superb quality, like the Sunshine Stars v Enyimba. Many were even better.

Enyimba's away record of 5 wins and 8 draws was an impressive upgrade compared with three seasons ago when champions Kano Pillars won just one away game, and that coming at Akwa United only after they had been confirmed champions.
And it wasn't just limited to Enyimba. During the first round of the season alone, there was a nearly unprecedented average of just over one away win per matchday.
At the beginning of the season, top referees were sent for training to England. Their performances and the accompanying results not only showed marked progress, but proved that the training was not in vain.
With great football, unpredictable results and no win at home syndrome, plus incentives for clubs with full houses, the crowds were bound to follow, and so they did.

Kano Pillars and Enyimba are the two sides which have consistently filled their respective stadia in recent seasons. That did not change this term with Pillars pulling upwards of 25, 000 and Enyimba netting 16 000 for their home games.

But others followed suit. Playing at the limited 7 000-capacity stadium, Sunshine Stars went off to a flier and regularly witnessed spillovers. Traditional crowd-pullers 3SC, who had seen their fans fall away in disillusionment, still managed to get in an average of 12

000 to pack the Adamasingba Stadium on match days.

Wikki, Lobi, Akwa United, Heartland, even Giwa FC also saw significant uptick in numbers for home games, something that was reflected in league venues across the country. The major disappointment came from Port Harcourt where Sharks and Dolphins have never quite found a way to persuade fans to the grounds.
On the field, the battle for goals went on till the last day of the season, with Warri Wolves' Gbolahan Salami scoring bis 17th goal of the season to beat Sunshine's Tunde Adeniji to the post by single goal.

While none of the strikers ever threatened Mfon Udoh's 23 goal haul of last season, it was still a stirring neck and neck race.
With Enyimba having sealed up the title with a match to spare, the real drama on the final day was in the relegation battles. Lobi Stars, Rangers, Sharks, Akwa United and Dolphins were all fighting to stay above the one available safe spot.
Each side held their fate in their own hands. And in the end, Sharks went down with little complaint after falling 1-0 at Abia Warriors.

To cap off a fantastic season for the domestic league, national coach Sunday Oliseh started three domestic league players in the second leg of the decisive World Cup qualifier against Swaziland.

That will hardly sound like much, until one considers the players that were sacrificed for the local lads: John Mikel Obi, Elderson Echiejile, Godfrey Oboabona, Obafemi Martins, Kelechi Iheanacho. Fantastic icing on the Glo Premier League cake
Yes, Enyimba may have claimed the N30 million prize money but in the end it will be Nigerian football that benefits the most from a rejuvenated domestic league.