Saturday, 14 January 2017

Opening Game of Nigeria Premier League marred by Poor Officiating ends in Chaos, As Fans React (Way Forward)


The opening match of the 2016/2017 NPFL (Nigeria Professional Football League) season between Kano Pillars and FC Ifeanyi Ubah was abandoned in the 60th minute owing to poor officiating from the center referee Mrs Folusho Ajayi. What a way to start a season filled with positivity and high hopes, but would seems to be just a mirror image of LMC's
developmental strides towards the growth of Nigeria local league.


Center Refree Mrs Folusho Ajayi

The trouble started when FC Ifeanyi Ubah's winger Prince Aggreh (who was a Kano Pillar's player last season) scored from a free-kick at the dying seconds of the first half but the center referee instead of awarding the goal signaled for a half-time even when the linesman made call for a goal.
Players confront Center Referee Mrs Folusho Ajayi during a game in NPFL last season

The question most Nigeria sports and football lovers are asking is why should an opening game of this caliber filled with tension be allowed to be handled by a female referee. Does this implies that she stands out above her experienced male counterparts to officiate a match of this magnitude inside the intimidating and notorious Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano? 
In Europe its almost not possible for a woman to officiate in a men's game at both international and domestic football. But to think that a woman can officiate our epileptic and developing league is not just a shame but also slap on the face of football lovers in Nigeria and shows that the good work of the LMC is being jeopardized. 
If we feel women are ripe or good enough to handle and officiate in men's game in Nigeria, then why is it that our female league is still in comatose and under developed?

But the truth is that the FC Ifeanyi Ubah's players should have been disciplined enough not to abandon the game. The club should be fined for abandoning a game and the referee should seriously be penalized for poor officiating

Could it be that the Shehu Dikko's led LMC has not got it right when it comes to choosing referee's to handle big games or is their a suspicious conspiracy ?

Only time will tell..

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