Sterner rulings that may bring about a permanent solution and an end to unruly conduct by clubs and their supporters at League venues were reeled out by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Organising and Disciplinary Committee which met yesterday to consider cases referred to it by the League Management Committee (LMC) and appeals on earlier rulings of the LMC.
Hardest hit in the three rulings made yesterday on matters from the Glo Premier League was Nembe City which had six points deducted from already accrued total for the season as well as forfeiting the three points in the cases against Lobi Stars and Gombe United.
The NFF disciplinary committee also ruled that the Match Day 33 fixture between Giwa FC and Sharks FC be replayed in full at the FIFA Goal Project in Abuja on Wednesday, October 29. The committee had heard that the match was played under an atmosphere of intimidation and fear leading to the match being disrupted in the 68th minute when unidentified fans hauled missiles onto the field of play injuring the Match Referee and a Sharks player, Gabriel Olalekan after Giwa was awarded a penalty. Giwa are also to play their next three home games at the Abuja ground.
The LMC had ruled that all abandoned games should be completed at a neutral ground from the time they were abandoned. The Clubs deemed to have caused the disruption were also levied financial fines while identified persons involved in the assault and encroachment were suspended for one year.
In the case of Match Day 27 between Nembe City and Lobi Stars, the match was disrupted in added time when Lobi Stars were awarded a penalty and the O & D decided that Lobi should be awarded the maximum points and three goals while three goals counts against Nembe City, they had three points deducted from existing season’s total.
Yet in another case of Match Day 31 fixture between Nembe City and Gombe United brought before the Committee, it was decided in favour of Gombe United which was awarded three points and three goals while Nembe City also had three points deducted from the already accrued total and a further three goals against. In the match, Nembe City abandoned the match in the closing minutes of the match after a penalty was awarded to Gombe United. The Committee ratified the decision of the LMC suspending Coaches John Aranka and Delix Levi for one year.
Ruling on a case brought by Nembe City against Bayelsa United, the Committee directed that Frank Egharevba who was registered by Bayelsa United remains a bonafide player of Nembe City and and fined Bayelsa United N1m for providing wrong information during the player’s registration. It however ruled that the result of the Match Day 26 fixture still stands and that Egharevba should return to Nembe City.
The Committee also upheld the decision of the LMC on the incident that happened on Match Day 30 between Crown and Enyimba at the Adamasingba Stadium when two players of Crown FC assaulted the match official. The players , Benson Omodo and Segun Ayo will therefore serve the one year suspension as ordered by the LMC while Crown will pay a compensation of N200, 000 to Referee Marcus Bwashi.
[+] Promise Etim