Chairman Tasks NPL Referees On Standards

The Chairman, Lagos State Football Referees Council, Adesegun Kosoko, has charged Nigeria Premier League (NPL) referees to raise their standards as the 2012/2013 season kicks off on February 16.

The only way the league’s profile could be enhanced was through fair officiating by match officials.

“The standard of our league is connected to the level of officiating skills displayed by the referees on the pitch.

“A key element to the development of football in any country is largely determined by the credibility of its referees.

“Officiating has to improve in the new season so that we could produce a worthy winner of the league title,’’he said.

Kosoko attributed the country’s success at the just-concluded Orange AFCON tournament in South Africa to the improvement in the standards of the coaches and the referees.

“Our referees must take a cue from the performance of their colleagues at the AFCON, where the country was able to excel because of fair officiating by the referees.