Sports
Improving Officiating in NPFL is Work in Progress
Joel Ajayi
As the mid-season break commenced after Matchday 19 over the weekend, Davidson Owumi, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) looked back at the proceedings and noted that there has been marked improvement in several aspects of the league organization.
Assessing the performance of the Referees, the former international turned football administrator believes that officiating got better with a handful of errors that could have been erased if modern technological aids had been deployed.
“After 185 matches, we probably had issues with less than 15 and in terms of percentage, I think our Referees scored over 85 percent which represents excellence.
“We are not unmindful that football is now technologically driven for players training and match officiating where the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) now assist Referees to correct human errors”
Owumi said the NPFL is working with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and other development partners towards introducing technology in the league.
He also pointed to the league’s zero tolerance for poor officiating as manifested in the swift withdrawal of culprits from officiating in matches of the NPFL.
“We worked in perfect sync with the NFF Referees Appointment Committee to organize training for selected members of the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA) and those who have so far been adjudged to have performed poorly were delisted for now”, Owumi told NPFL Media.
He said the NPFL prioritized the welfare of all match officials and “we not only increased their travel allowances and honorarium but also ensured their bank accounts were credited before they travel. This is unprecedented in the history of the league”.
The NPFL Boss revealed that the Referee’s performances were boosted by the special arrangement for the Matchday security squad that all clubs were mandated to provide for match officials.
“Last season, we enshrined points deduction in the Framework and Rules for any club whose fans physically attacked our Referees, and this season, we went a step further to mandate all home teams to provide Special Escort Security Squad for Match officials.
“The only breach was recorded in Gombe and Gombe United were ducked three points and three goals.
“So, overall we have made it possible for our officiating to improve considerably and will continue to explore opportunities to attain the global best rating. It’s a work in progress”, Owumi concluded.
The 2023/24 NPFL mid-season commenced on January 19, 2024, and the season will resume on February 3, 2024.
Sports
From Streets to Stardom: Unique Futbol Academy Scouting Program Inspires Ibadan’s Young Footballers
Ibadan is buzzing with excitement as the Unique Football Academy Scouting Program kicks off, bringing together top European football clubs and talented young Nigerian players.
The four-day program, which commenced on Monday, features a delegation of four directors from prominent European teams, including two from Kosovo and one from India, led by renowned football agent Diego Martins from Portugal.
The scouting program aims to identify and select outstanding players who will be given opportunities to showcase their skills in Europe.
Successful players will be offered the chance to take their careers to the next level, with the organizers assuring them of opportunities abroad.
According to the Director of the program and founder of Unique Football Academy, Mr. Jelil Oladimeji, this is not the first time the academy has organized such an event.
“This is the 4th edition, and we are proud of the progress and impact we have made so far in terms of exposing our raw talent to the European market,” he said.
The program has already proven successful, with several players from previous editions going on to excel in European leagues. Some notable examples include Haruna Saleh with PAOK in Greece and Praisegod Emersons in Slovakia.
As the program continues, clubs are gearing up to exhibit their talents, and the future looks bright for Nigeria’s young football stars.
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