Sports
LMC Suspends NPFL Referees For Poor Officiating
The League Management Company (LMC) has recommended the suspension of some match officials who officiated in five match day 14 fixtures from further officiating matches in the Nigeria Professional Football League pending full investigation into their performances.
The five match day 14 fixtures are Heartland vs Nasarawa United, Lobi Stars vs Rivers United, Go Round vs Rangers International, Yobe Desert Stars vs Enyimba International and FC IfeanyiUbah vs Plateau United.
The first set of officials recommended for suspension by the LMC are Moroof Afolabi (Kwara), Akinsanya Segun (Oyo), and Alhaji Alhaji (Kogi) who officiated the game between Go Round FC and Enugu Rangers at the Krisdera Hotel Stadium, Omoku.
The game ended in a 2-2 draw with the hosts rallying from two goals down to earn a share of the spoils with the home team benefitting a late penalty awarded by the centre referee which was converted by Okon Otop.
Also recommended for suspension are the officials who officiated the match day 14 encounter between Heartland and Nasarawa United match at the Dan Anyiam Stadium Owerri.
They are; O.O Awosakin (Ondo), Busayo Ogunyamodi and I.O Awosakin all from Ondo state.
The centre referee, Awosakin according to various sources was alleged to have awarded a dubious penalty to hosts deep into stoppage time which gave them a 2-1 win.
For the Lobi Stars vs Rivers United match, the officials recommended for suspension are centre referee Folusho Ajayi (Oyo) and her assistants, Aina Idris (Lagos) and Abdulganiyu Abdulmalik (Bauchi).
Hosts Lobi Stars also won the game courtesy of late penalty which was converted by Austine Ogunye.
Further recommended for suspension are officials in the FC IfeanyiUbah vs Plateau United game. They are centre referee Awalu Rabiu (Zamfara), Adamu Zakari (Jigawa) and Badamosi Badamosi (Jigawa).
The last batches of officials recommended for suspension are the referees in the Yobe Stars vs Enyimba International match. The referees are Dankano A. Mohammed (Kogi), Mohammed Surakat and Toyin Sunday, both from Kwara State council.
The LMC stated that the performance and conduct of the listed referees recommended for suspension were well below the high standard expected in NPFL including questionable decisions anc failure to submit match reports on time.
A well-known football pundit in the State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo has lauded the efforts and vision of the Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle for going from one venue of the Nigeria Domestic Nigeria Professional Football League match to the other in monitoring Nigerian players, with a view to invite some exceptional good one discovered into the main stream of the Super Eagles team.
Okonkwo, who made the commendation in an interview at the Port Harcourt Club recently, described the positive move by Coach Chelle as a good step in the right direction, noting that the practice was how its been done in the past among any contracted coach assigned to tinker the Super Eagles team.
“Truly, it has been an old tradition in the country seeing any newly engaged Coach to lead the National team, visiting some our Nigeria League venues during the league matches to spot light some good talents that could be used to beef up some grey areas in the department of Eagles team”
He, however, frowned at the current situation where our coaches had continously been over depending on the use of foreign based players during invitation of players to the National camp, thereby, relegating the domestic home based league players to the background as if they have nothing much to offer to the team.
“I can vividly recall that the likes of great players in the mode of Finidi George, Taribo West, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Richard Owobokiri, Emmanuel Osuigwe among others started from Nigeria football league before they graduated to play in Europe through which they later invited to Super Eagles camp to represent Nigeria”
“Besides, I’m also of the view that going to secondary school football competitive games could equally serves as a a good platform to discover budding talents that could be nurtured to become great stars in near future”, Okonkwo frankly added.
Okonkwo, therefore, prayed that any football coach to be engaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to tinker the Super Eagles should be told not to confine himself in staying in big hotel alone but to be visiting some of our local league match venues, with a view to discover some good players that can be drafted into the Super Eagles team.
“Indeed, I stand to be challenged that there some young good players in the Nigeria Professional League. If spotted and exposed, could give the some of the invited foreign based players a stiff competitive fight in securing a postion in the team”, Okonkwo emphatically stated.
Ezechukwu, one of the youngest members of the Nigerian contingent at the championship in Ghana, said her ambition was to win the 100m title in style and cap it with a new personal record.
The fresh secondary school graduate explained that she is fully focused on contributing to Team Nigeria’s medal hopes and is determined to deliver strong performances across her events.
“My main objective in Ghana is to clinch the 100m title and the 4×100m,” Ezechukwu told Tidesports source.
“Nigeria can be assured of my very best and my commitment to the Team. I would love to set a new personal best in Ghana, but anything that comes, I will take it. The spirit in the team is high, and I think we are ready to go,” she said.
Ezechukwu, who was part of Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay squad at the World Relays in Botswana, said the experience gained from that competition has strengthened her mindset heading into the continental championships.
She admitted that she learned valuable lessons from her previous outing, including a difficult moment during the relay where an early error affected the team’s rhythm, but said she has used the experience to improve her discipline and composure.
“The secret is just being disciplined, training hard and trusting my coach and believing in God, and the result will show,” she added.
The teenager is part of a 41-member Nigerian team comprising 24 female and 17 male athletes competing at the championships, which begin today at the University of Ghana, Legon.
Nigeria are expected to compete across multiple track and field events as they aim for a strong finish against the continent’s elite athletes.
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