The Nigerian Football Federation’s (NFF) Referees Unit have taken swift action, suspending centre referee Kolawole Emmanuel and Referee Assessor Joshua Amao from all NPFL games following contentious penalty decisions in Heartland’s 2-1 win over Shooting Stars.
The referee’s suspension stems from a dramatic penalty awarded to Shooting Stars in the closing stages of the Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) clash. With Heartland Owerri leading, Shooting Stars’ goalkeeper launched a long ball forward, which was cleared by the home side’s defender.
However, the referee deemed the defender to have committed a foul while heading the ball out, resulting in a penalty. Shooting Stars capitalized on the decision, with Mustapha Adams successfully converting the spot kick to level the scoreline amidst anger and dissatisfaction from the home supporters.
Nonetheless, the drama continued, as Heartland Owerri were later awarded a penalty of their own, which was initially missed but retaken due to the referee’s decision. John Bassey eventually scored from the penalty spot in the 88th minute, securing Heartland’s 2-1 victory.
More Read
According to an official statement signed by Chairman, NFF Referees’ Committee, Mohammed Ameenu, the actions of the referee “did not only negatively affect the outcome of the match, but equally brings the game to disrepute.”
The suspension of the referees is expected to send a strong message to others, emphasizing the importance of accuracy in their decision-making during matches.
Furthermore, fans are optimistic that the recent controversies will prompt the federation to consider introducing Video Assistant Referees (VAR) to provide additional support to center referees and reduce errors in the league.
© Bold Media Innovations & Creative Hub Limited. All rights reserved. If sharing, kindly credit Bold Sports as the source and include a link to the original post. Unauthorised use is prohibited.
