Sports
Soname Calls For NPFL referees demotion
Remo Stars owner Kunle Soname has launched a strong criticism of officiating in the Nigeria Premier Football League, calling for referees involved in what he described as clear and obvious errors this ongoing season to be held accountable and demoted, Tidesports source reports. .
Speaking to the media on Wednesday at the Remo Stars Sports Complex in Ikenne, Soname said the club’s concerns were driven by repeated decisions that have, in his view, tilted matches unfairly.
Remo Stars currently sit 16th on the NPFL table, one place and one point above Barau FC in the first relegation spot, a sharp contrast to last season when they lifted the league title.
Soname referenced several incidents this campaign, including a recent game against Ikorodu City, the matchday 18 fixture involving Remo Stars and Insurance, as well as video footage from the Barau and Shooting Stars encounter, all of which he said highlighted inconsistencies in refereeing decisions.
He insisted that the issue was not a blanket attack on referees but a demand for accountability and consistency.
“Referees can be good. They can get the job done. They just decide to apply the rules in a different way. Now, we have just brought this out now because they are clear and obvious errors. But we all know football, there are many instances where their bias will not result in goals,” Soname said.
He added that the problem often lies in repeated marginal decisions favouring one side.
Say 50-50 calls, they are just consistently giving it to one side, one side, one side. So if there is a body that will watch all the games and that will hold them accountable and say, ‘Listen my friend, why is this a foul in this match for this team in yellow, and the same thing has happened here against them and it’s not a foul?’ Then everybody will sit up and the game will be fair.”
He added, “The committee should reward referees who are doing great jobs and punish those with poor officiating by demoting them to the NNL. It is not the kind of demotion that after one or two weeks they are back, they should be demoted for the entire season.”
Soname stressed that fairness was fundamental to the growth of Nigerian football.
“The better teams will win and that is how football can develop and grow in this country,” he said.
He was also keen to distance his comments from what he described as a misdirected attack on the Nigeria Football Federation.
They will say, ‘He’s attacking NFF.’ It has got nothing to do with NFF. NFF did not appoint referees. It is the committee that appointed the referees. NFF did not hold the whistle to come and do stupid things on the pitch,” he said.
According to Soname, responsibility must be shared between match officials and those who appoint them.
“The referees will carry their cross and the appointment committee will carry their cross as well. Under whose purview is the referee appointment? NFF committee appointed them. That is exactly what I’m saying,” he stated.
He called on the federation to ensure the right people oversee officiating.
“The NFF needs to put proper people there, proper people, that will just ensure accountability and fairness. That is all we require. And trust me, if there is fairness on the pitch, this football will grow astronomically in this country.”
Soname also rejected suggestions that Remo Stars had benefited from refereeing favouritism in the past, particularly during their title-winning campaign.
“Anybody that says he collected one cent from Remo Stars last season, season before last, season before that one, should come out and say it and I will sack that official the same day. That is not what we stand for,” he said.
“I challenge anybody, anybody. If the person can prove it, the person that did that in this club is gone the same day. Gone,” Soname said, adding that Remo Stars’ operations were transparent and could not conceal such payments.
Beyond officiating, Soname highlighted the broader financial realities of Nigerian football, noting that most clubs operate at a loss. He explained that Remo Stars rely heavily on their academy model to sustain the club.
However, he argued that financial strength should be expressed through squad building rather than manipulation.
“If you have more money, go and recruit Ronaldo, pay him, he will score 30 goals and you will win the league. Resources need to be channeled towards competition, towards fairness. It cannot be the other way,” Soname said.
The National Sports Commission (NSC) says it will no longer pay athletes training grants in foreign currency.
The development came after sprinter, Kayinsola Ajayi, alleged foul play regarding the disbursement of training grants by the Commission.
Head of NSC’s Elite Athletes Development and Podium Board, Yusuf Alli, told Tidesports source on Friday that it was wrong of Ajayi to rubbish the good intention of the NSC, saying: “I have been in athletics for over 40 years now, and this current NSC Board, led by Mallam Shehu Dikko and Bukola Olopade, has done what others could not do. So far, the NSC has spent over N200 million in payment of training grants for athletes ahead the 2026 Commonwealth Games and preparation for Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.”
The NSC sourced the money from the private sector. It has never happened before. “I expected the athletes to encourage the NSC so that it can do more instead of raising unnecessary alarm and making allegations that is capable of discouraging them (NSC) and even the sponsors. It takes good initiative and trust for sports administrators in Nigeria to convince sponsors to donate money for welfare of athletes,” he said.
Speaking further, Alli, whose long jump record of 8.27m set in 1989 (35 years ago) is still unbroken, said: “We have decided that henceforth, all payment of training grants will be in Naira. No more payment of grants in U.S. dollars. We are Nigerians, and everyone knows that the exchange rate is not stable. As at the time Ajayi got his money, the rate of dollars to Naira may have changed
“I expected him to make a call either to myself or anybody in the Elite Board, or even the NSC to find out what happened instead of resorting to such allegation.
“If we make payment in Naira, any athlete who wants to convert his or her money to any foreign currency can tell their people back home to do so. I am sure this will solve the problem. If anybody wants to know how much he is entitled to, he must first of all find out the category that he or she belongs to.”
Alli disclosed that coaches, who train the athletes would soon get their grant. “They train the athletes, and the NSC feel is it not proper to leave them out in payment of grants. We have compiled their names, and very soon, the coaches would get their money,” Alli stated.
The chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League, Gbenga Elegbeleye, has directed that a minute’s silence be observed before kick-off at all Matchday 30 fixtures this weekend in honour of former Green Eagles captain Henry Nwosu, following the death of the former midfielder at the age of 62.
In a statement made available to Tidesports source on Saturday, the league body confirmed that the tribute would be held across all matches to recognise the contribution of the former international to Nigerian football.
Elegbeleye described Nwosu’s passing as both a personal loss and a painful moment for the country’s club football community.
Nwosu, who was the youngest member of Nigeria’s squad that won the 1980 African Cup of Nations, died in the early hours of Saturday at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in Ikeja after a brief illness.
The former midfielder had reportedly spent several days in hospital receiving intensive care before his death.
Elegbeleye said the late footballer was more than a colleague within the sport, describing him as someone with whom he had maintained a long-standing personal relationship dating back to his time at the National Sports Commission.
He said the former national team star had remained supportive of him in various moments of his career, including when he was nominated for the Pitch Football Awards.
Reflecting on Nwosu’s legacy, the NPFL chairman said the news represented the loss of a major figure in Nigerian football, noting that the former midfielder distinguished himself not only at club level but also later contributed to the development of the domestic game as a coach.
Elegbeleye said the death of the former international was “the death of a true ambassador of the domestic and national team football because he not only made his mark as a player in league clubs, but he also coached some of the league clubs.”
He added that death remained a submission to the will of God and prayed for the repose of Nwosu’s soul while urging strength for his family as they mourn the loss of their loved one.
Earlier confirmation of the former midfielder’s death came from former Nigeria international Segun Odegbami, who revealed that Nwosu died after spending five days in hospital. Odegbami said the former player passed away at about four o’clock in the morning at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, where he had been receiving treatment in intensive care.
“It is with deep pain in my heart that I have to be the conveyor of the news of the death of Henry Nwosu MON,” Odegbami said.
“After five days in hospital battling for his life, the one I call ‘Youngest Millionaire’ passed on at four o’clock this morning at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, where he had been in intensive care since Wednesday. May he rest peacefully with our Creator in heaven”.
At the club level, the former international spent most of his career in Nigeria, starring for New Nigeria Bank FC of Benin City and African Continental Bank FC of Lagos during a period when both sides were among the dominant forces in domestic football. His performances later earned him moves abroad, where he also played for ASEC Mimosas of Ivory Coast and Racing FC Bafoussam of Cameroon.
Nigeria’s Women Basketball team, D’Tigress, is targeting victory against Philippines this Saturday in their third game at the ongoing FIBA Women’s World Cup qualification tournament holding in Lyon, France.
The Coach Rena Wakama-led D’Tigress, on Thursday, lost their second game 60-77 to South Korea, making it the first time the Nigeria senior women basketball team is losing to their Asian opponent.
After this Saturday’s game against Philippines, D’Tigress will face two European giants, France and Germany.
Both Nigeria and Germany had already qualified for the FIBA Women’s World Cup slated for September in Berlin, Germany. They are only taking part in the qualification competition in Lyon as preparatory test ahead of the World Cup.
In Thursday’s game against South Korea, the Nigerians had a closed game in the first and second quarter losing narrowly by 36-32 points but couldn’t build their usual momentum in the third and final quarter as the game slipped away from them.
Coach Rena Wakama said they learnt quickly from the loss to South Korea, and charged her girls to quickly put the defeat behind them and focus on an improved performance in their game against the Philippines.
“South Korea is a great team. We struggled today (Thursday) shooting the balls and we turned over the ball 22 times, which is not typical of our game.
“Mentality we are fine, and we are not going to over react to the loss. There are lessons in losses so we are going to take the lessons from this game and try to get better and be ready for our next game.
“The Koreans were very physical, denying our passing lanes and double up on our players. They did a great job and credit to them,” Wakama stated.
Victoria Macaulay was Nigeria’s best performer after her MVP display in the first game against Colombia, scoring 22 points and 6 rebounds.
South Korea is hoping to pick one of the two World Cup tickets in the round robin qualification tournament to join Nigeria and Germany for the FIBA Women’s World Cup in September in Berlin, Germany.
The FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament is currently taking part in four counties – France, Turkey, Puerto Rico and China as countries fight to make the World Cup.
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