By Patrick Ngwaogu Abuja

Chairman of theNigeria National League (NNL) ,Mr George Aluo has commended Nigeria Referees officiating in the second tier of the league in the country for the job well done.

Aluo made this disclosure while Featuring on the Super Interview sesion on the leading WhatsApp group in Nigeria *Sports World Platform on Monday.

The Lagos based Football administrator said the referees have been good since the start of the NNL season going by the statistics of the number of victories and draws recorded in the first stanza of the league.

“If you look at statistics, the number of victories that was recorded in the first stanza of the league, the number of draws that were recorded, you will clearly see that the officiating has improved, it is not same old story” Aluo states.

The Imo state born veteran journalist cum administrator, also stated that the officiating in NNL was very poor before now, but in the ongoing campaign, clubs can acknowledge that officiating has been top notch with clubs now winning on the road with statistics to back it up.

” Before now officiating in NNL was very poor, we must give kudos to the referees, and clubs can acknowledge that the officiating has been top notch, clubs are winning on the road and we have statistics to back this up” he noted.

Aluo further cited that, the first stanza of the league recorded 47 away victories, given by 37% of the matches played, affirmed that it has never happen, which is unprecedented going by the record of victories home and away in the history of NNL.

“After the first stanza, we had about 47 away victories and that gave us about 37% of the matches played, it has never happen in the history of NNL, you can check the records not just NNL even in NPFL, the number of victories home and away is unprecedented in the history of the league” Aluo said.

The league body boss, opined that the officiating has greatly improved, giving kudos to the referees for their job well done.

The Chairman further said that the few cases where poor officiating emerged have been taken care of promptly, through recommendations to the referees committee of NFF for erring referees to be sanctioned.

“So in the area of officiating, we cannot say that same of the same, it has greatly improved and I must give kudos to referees for the job they are doing, and few cases where they have been poor officiating, we have taken prompt actions, made sanctions, recommendations to the referees committee of NFF for such referees to be sanctioned, so officiating has really improved and kudos must go to the referees in this direction”

The Chairman of the board of the Most Important League, further revealed that his league, the NNL would be on local television next football season.

Aluo said efforts are on for every football fan to watch the matches from their living rooms.

The former member of the NFF World cup and Media committee was asked on his thoughts regarding the conventional TV coverage and broadcast of the NNL, with the intention of attracting more sponsors to the NNL and he said

“It is a gradual process,
now we have started with “Global TV” , it can only get better.
Even the NPFL found it difficult to put their games on television. But now that we have started with Global TV, we have started from somewhere and I am sure that with what we are doing with them, it can only get better. May be by next season, Nigerians will begin to see more of the NNL games on television”.

On the recent expulsion of Malufashi FC from the League, Mr George Aluo stated that the Board of the Nigeria National League, NNL is not ready to mortgage the rules book guiding the smooth running of the league.

The astute journalist said it was a day to remember for clubs who still believed in win at home syndrome and harassment of match officials at match venues to have a change of mind or pack off from the league.

The NNL, Boss giving reasons for their decision to send the Katsina outfit side from the Most Important League decried the claims of high-handedness on handling the issue related to participating clubs saying all what they are doing are in line with global best practices

The Lagos based Football administrator noted that Malumfashi was not ready to play a professional football turning their venue to war front. He added that the club did not honour the 2 league matches in quick succession

“Malumfashi has clearly breached the rules of the league. Remember that this same Malumfashi FC was thrown out of the league alongside Gateway FC at the beginning of the season. We are not playing amateur football, the Nigeria National League is a professional league and teams that are ready to participate must be ready to be professional, not just in words but in all ramifications.”

He said:
“When Malumfashi were brought back home, their very first game against Sokoto United, the referees were attacked,the match was not finished and there was tear gas.
That is the only incident we had this season in the NNL.

He continued;
“As a responsible league board that wants discipline, we decided to banish them to Kaduna but they did not honour their match against Sokoto United, and thereafter they did not honour the next two games.”

“We did all these quoting relevant sections of the rule book. We did not do anything outside the rules of the games as it clearly says that if you missed two games,you are out. Thus,the issue of high-handedness does not arise, we cannot compromise the standards,that is why we had to send Malumfashi packing from the NNL”

The NNL Chairman said that both government and privately owned clubs are enjoying the same levels of playing ground in the league.

Mr Aluo further reiterated the need for the privately owned clubs to be protected particularly in the present economic reality stated that part of the visions of the Most Important league is to see to it that all teams are given a level playing ground to succeed.

The NNL helmsman, noted that the only way the private owned clubs can be encouraged is to ensure that matches are not won by the highest bidder.

The Imo born veteran journalist cum administrator, added that other way to encourage the private owned clubs is to give a level playing field to enable them to succeed which the league board has succeeded in doing this season.

Aluo, while commenting on conferences not having same numbers of clubs, he said it depends on the geographical zones where few clubs were located, clarifying that the league body can not take certain clubs to be in particular conferences because they want to balance the league.

He however concluded that, the league body considered where clubs are based due to the situations of the country and economic challenges the nation is currently facing.

In his words: “Some clubs are paying through their noses by traveling from one venues to another. These are the things the league puts into consideration for grouping clubs in the conferences of the league” he concluded.

The Sports World WhatsApp Interview was anchored by Sunday Agubiade and Wale Oye.