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
VIP Spikers unveil Veronica Gyamfi following successful surgery after career-threatening injury
VIP Spikers have unveiled Veronica Gyamfi as their player, pledging to support her welfare and recovery after an injury sustained during last season’s CGC Volleyball Premier League.
The unveiling took place on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at the Indoor Sports Hall of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, with Samuel Onikeku, Head of Sports, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), performing the ceremony.
Gyamfi sustained the injury while representing Wikki during last season’s CGC Volleyball Premier League.
In a swift response, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Dr Bashir Adewale Adeniyi (MFR), and the President of Vipers sponsored her surgery at Dala Orthopedic Hospital in Kano, where she spent two weeks receiving medical attention.
Her signing by Vipers and Partners VC, popularly known as VIP Spikers, is expected to provide her with continued care and support as she progresses through recovery and works towards returning to competitive volleyball.
Meanwhile, Gyamfi was presented a brand new ASICS canvas and a branded jersey of VIP Spikers as it is believed she would return to play after completing her rehabilitation.
The intervention reflects the importance of athlete welfare in Nigerian sports, particularly the need to ensure that players who sustain injuries while representing their teams receive appropriate medical attention and rehabilitation support.
The sponsorship of Gyamfi’s surgery by the Comptroller-General, followed by her signing by VIP Spikers, highlights the potential impact of collaboration between sports authorities, competition sponsors and clubs in safeguarding athletes’ careers.
After the surgery Gyamfi has been undergoing physiotherapy sessions at the 44 Military Reference hospital in Kaduna as the Sporting Club is supporting her education at Kaduna State Polytechnic.
Gyamfi’s story offers an encouraging example of support for an athlete facing a difficult period in her career.
Her unveiling reinforces the message that volleyball development goes beyond competitions and trophies to include protecting players’ welfare and helping them return to the sport they love.
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