ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECT OF FOCUS STRATEGY ON THE ASSET QUALITY MANAGEMENT OF FOOTBALL CLUBS IN THE NIGERIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Abstract

The Nigerian football league is experiencing rapid growth, attracting increased attention from fans, sponsors, and investors. With this surge in interest comes heightened competition among clubs, necessitating the adoption of effective competitive strategies and robust financial management practices. In the realm of sports, particularly football, the coexistence of athletic prowess and financial viability presents a unique challenge that sets it apart from other industries. Therefore, the study examined the effect of focus strategy on the asset quality management of football clubs in the Nigerian football league. Survey research design was employed for the study and a structured questionnaire on the subject matter was administered. Stratified sampling technique was used to categorize the football clubs and purposive sampling was used to select the 37 out of 90 registered clubs. Fifteen copies of questionnaire were distributed to all the relevant administrators of each of the 37 clubs. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Multiple Regressions were used to examine the effect of focus strategy on the asset quality management of football clubs in the Nigerian football league. Result of the multiple regression from the analysis showed that the effect of the focus strategy on asset management exhibits that player recruitment (p=0.000), tactical approach (p=0.017), youth development (p=0.026), and fan engagement (p=0.000) were all significant, though financial allocation (p=0.833) was not. The study concluded that focus strategy employed by football clubs has a significant effect on their asset management quality. It is therefore recommended that Football clubs should align their focus strategy with long-term asset quality management goals. This involves clearly defining objectives related to player recruitment, tactical approach, youth development, and fan engagement, ensuring that they are in line with the club's overall mission and vision.