EXCLUSIVE: Elijah Ani Reveals Reasons Why He Quit NPFL For Rwanda Premier League

EXCLUSIVE: Elijah Ani Reveals Reasons Why He Quit NPFL For Rwanda Premier League 

By Emmanuel Chinedu 

Former Rangers Int'l and Lobi Stars forward, Elijah Ani, has revealed his reasons why he left the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) to join Rwandan Club Bugesera FC, BSNSports.com.ng reports. 

Elijah, was part of the Lobi Stars team that participated in the 2022/23 NPFL Championship playoff two months ago, in Lagos, after he joined the side during the second stanza of the season from Rangers International. 

While speaking in an exclusive interview, with BSNSports.com.ng, on Friday, Elijah expressed he never expected that he was going to Rwanda. 

" Yes, you know after the season, you always get calls and you expect a lot to happen for you to seek greener pastures, " Elijah said. 

"The truth is that I never expected that I was going to Rwanda. So I had to make the call at the last minute, and when I heard the conditions, I felt it would be better for me to leave."

The Delta-born forward also explained the reasons why he left the NPFL to sign for Rwandan Club Bugesera FC. 

" Yes, there are so many obvious reasons why players leave the NPFL for other African leagues," He explained. 

" The most important thing for someone is to have a better life, and I think that is what every player is fighting for, in other to have a better life after football. and to move to a league that has more publicity or more money."

 "Because having more money is the most important one, you can play in the league that has more publicity, because you want more money. We have players that are playing in Angola, Sudan, South Korea, and North Korea, who are Nigerians that you don't even know about, but are happy and living comfortably with their families because they are making more money."

The forward further explained reasons why players keep on leaving the NPFL for other leagues, saying it is because of financial reasons.

"You know that in the NPFL, as much as it is improving but still we are left behind because players in the league are not getting what they want."

"However, you know they can't just stay at home because they want to play football. so if you see something better for you, then you have to take it, no matter how little, because you might not get it again."

Elijah also revealed why 80% of Ex-NPFL players, who played only in the league struggle to live a better life after football. 

"I think it is something that everybody knows in Nigeria. you will see an ex-NPFL players out of 100, 70%-80% of them are back in the streets."

"These are players that played in big teams, continental teams for years, but because they played only in Nigeria, they could not get anything to leave after playing football."

"Yes, you have to prepare for that, so if you have an opportunity that would make you prepare yourself for life after football easier, then you have to take it and go," He concludes. 

Elijah will be expected to help Bugesera FC, to fight and challenge for honours this season, in the ongoing 2023/24 Rwanda Premier League.