Zonal Elimination: Coach Accuses Organisers Of Incompetence

Chief Coach of Rivers State football Association, RSFA, Tony
Chuku has accused the organizers of the recently concluded 18th National Sports
Festival Zonal elimination series in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State of poor organisation
of the competition. Chuku, who spoke with Tidesports in a Telephone  interview yesterday stated that the refrees
used to officiate the football event of the elimination were biased and grossly
incompetent.

According to him, the refree terminated the final
elimination match between Rivers and Cross-Rivers 15 minutes before regulation
time.

“I am not happy that the NSF the sole organizers of the
elimination did not monitor the competition properly.

The centre refree wanted to ensure that Rivers State did not
qualify for the football event,” Chuku said.

The chief coach further accused  Akwa Ibom and Cross River State of
conspiracy, saying that they gave each other points during the preliminary
matches.

“It is unfortunate that MSF did not have time to look at the
matches played during the preliminary games, other wise what Akwa Ibom and
their sister state Cross River played can be described as match fixing”, he
stated.

Chuku used the opportunity to appeal to NSF to always
supervise zonal eliminations and discipline any refree or state that run foul
of the rules of the tournament.

Tonye Orabere