May 18, 2015 – President Nigerian Football Federation(NFF) Amaju Pinnick is confident the good old days are returning to the elite division of Nigeria football after an incident-free Glo Premier League showdown between traditional rivals, Shooting Stars of Ibadan and Enugu Rangers at the Lekan Salami Stadium on Sunday.
“It was just like the good old days, when people could go to any of the stadia with their families and enjoy a League match without any hassles. The officiating was spot-on, the players gave their all and both teams deserved the point they each got from the encounter.
“I just feel that the good times are returning. The efforts of the Nigeria Football Federation and the League Management Company are yielding positive dividends.”
He praised the NFF Referees Committee headed by Yusuf Ahmed Fresh and the Nigeria Referees Association led by Tade Azeez.
“These two organs are working very hard to restore the glory of the League. They are complementing very well the efforts of the NFF and the LMC. The capacity –building programmes for the referees, and the general re-orientation of officiating officials have not been in vain.”
Pinnick was excited after the 1-1 draw between the two powerhouse teams with mass following, and promised to watch more domestic League matches as his schedule permits. Referee Ahmed Rufai from Jigawa State was in charge.
“We are having proper and very good officiating these days. I congratulate the referees and the assistant referees, as well as our match commissioners and referee assessors. The NFF and the LMC will continue the thorough monitoring of the officials, and we insist that those who perform below expected standard will be visited with full sanctions.”
In other Week 9 matches played on Sunday, Abia Warriors lost 0-1 at home to champions Kano Pillars, while Enyimba FC won 2-1 away to Dolphins in Port Harcourt. These results took the number of away wins this season to 10, with so many credible drawn games to add to the list.
On Sunday, Nasarawa United also drew 1-1 at home to Sunshine Stars, while FC Taraba secured a point in Jos after drawing 0-0 with Giwa FC.
