The disciplinary committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), yesterday, deducted two points from the defending champion of the Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL), Enyimba of Aba, following an appeal filed by Doma United over the outcome of their match on March 10 at the Aba Township Stadium.
Enyimba won the match by a lone goal, but Doma United protested that the result of the game was dictated by hoodlums, who encroached on the pitch and forced the match officials to alter the real result.
Ruling on DomaUnited’s appeal on an earlier decision to award the game to Enyimba, the NFF committee said that the match was inconclusive as it was only played for about 88 minutes instead of the normal 90 minutes.
In their ruling, yesterday,the NFF disciplinary committee said that the cause of the disruption of the match was as a result the 88th-minute goal scored by Enyimba, which was initially admitted to be a goal before the referee overruled it after consulting with one of the assistant referees.
According to the NFF, the referee awarded an indirect free kick to Doma United, but the ball was seized by Enyimba, “while an official and reserved players of Enyimba ran into the field of play to accost the referee.
“Enyimba fans rushed into the field of play and dragged the referee to an Outside Broadcasting Van (OB van) owned by Startimes, stationed outside the field of play to review the goal-scoring action. They dragged the referee back to the field of play and forced him to rescind his last decision (offside).”
The NFF said that the referee testified that the goal was scored from an offside position, adding that he was forced to change his decision after visiting the OB Van for fear of being lynched by Enyimba officials and hoodlums.
The committee added that the referee admitted that going outside the pitch of play and thereafter changing his decision was wrong according to the laws and the spirit of the game.
“The referee stated that he was forced to write and send his report in the dressing room while being surrounded by the home team officials, which was why he made an unelaborated report.
“Consequently, he presented an additional report to the committee which was admitted in evidence.”
The committee, therefore, held that the result of the match was goalless, which was the state of things at the time of the restart of the game in the 88th minute.
The committee also upheld the NPFL’s earlier decision to fine Enyimba the sum of N7 million for failing “to provide adequate and effective security” and “encroachment onto the pitch at the Enyimba Stadium in Aba by unauthorised persons.”
