Guardian

CITY of David (COD) United Manager, Austin Eguavoen has expressed shock and disappointment at the abysmal level of officiating in the Nigerian National League (NNL), warning that this could drive away genuine sponsors of football from the league.

Lamenting the experience of his team in recent games, Eguavoen told journalists in Lagos Wednesday that, “honestly, I am very disappointed at the level of officiating in the NNL. In the three away games that I have handled so far, we have been on the receiving end of some shameless officiating.

“In the game against Fountain, the referee gave four minutes of added time in the first half but allowed play to go on till the sixth minute when they scored. The game against Rising Stars was even worse. First, a referee was appointed from Ekiti for a game in Akure and he proceeded to make a real mess of things. He awarded the most disgraceful penalty I have ever seen.”

He added, “even the fans at the stadium were shocked as if that was not enough, our acting deputy director of football was beaten up and injured for no reason there. In Aba against Abia Warriors, the ball went out of touch and the linesman rightly gave a corner but the referee awarded a penalty out of the blues.

“In fact, for about a minute, there was confusion as the referee and assistant referee held their different grounds. The referee was also brought in from Imo to officiate a game in Aba. I know everyone wants to be promoted, but promotion should be for the best team, not the one, who pays referees the most or bend the rules.”

Concerned that the unfair officiating might frustrate his lads, Eguavoen challenged the NNL to clean up the league.   “The NPFL used to be like this but now they are making great strides. We need to do the same in the NNL. We are killing the faith of these boys in the game and robbing them of the rewards of their hard work, that’s the real tragedy.

“I have played the game and achieved all I can, these boys are just starting and here we are, frustrating them. Even the fans, how are they supposed to enjoy a spectacle when the outcome is already predetermined?  It is really frustrating and something must be done really soon if we truly want the game in Nigeria to develop,” he concluded.

He said the management of COD United has forwarded a letter of protest to the NNL along with clips of the disputed refereeing decisions.