The League Management Company (LMC) has received the support of the National Council on Sports (NCS) following the feud, which broke out between the Nduka Irabor-led LMC and the club owners.

At the end of its three-day meeting in Ilorin, the NCS urged club owners to rally round the LMC in its drive to improve the Nigerian football league.

The club managers have been at loggerheads with the LMC, claiming they have not been carried along by the LMC, while also reaching a decision not to recognise the company.

However, the NCS declared that the body is convinced that the Minister of Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, who also supervises the NFF, has provided needed leadership modalities for things to work out.

Also at the meeting, which was held at the banquet hall of the deputy governor’s office in Ilorin, Kwara State, the NCS appealed to all stakeholders to support the LMC in its bid to implement the necessary reforms aimed at improving the Nigerian league.

The NCS, which is made up of all commissioners of sports and directors of sports from the states of the federation, said it has scrutinised the LMC documents and “believe strongly that its intentions are well outlined to improve football and the welfare of the players and coaches of the teams.”

According to the communiqué, the states of the federation were also called on to set up structures towards the privitisation of their football clubs.

Despite the huge respect and recognition the country receive in international football, the Nigerian league lags behind in the rating of football leagues in the world. According to the International federation of football History and statistics (IFFHS) release in March 2013, Sunshine Stars of Akure is the best club in Nigeria, 13th in Africa and 244 out 400 in the world.

Heartland is rated second in Nigeria and 371st in the World.