PUNCH
In this special report ABIODUN ADEWALE takes a look at the plight of Nigerian referees who have been victimised while doing their jobs in the domestic league
At the mention of Nigerian referees, two perceptions easily come to mind.
In the first instance, they are largely perceived as one of the ‘enemies’, if not the principal ‘enemy’ of Nigerian football.
On the other hand, they are pathetically seen as the ‘victims’ of the dangers of Nigerian football. Depending on who you ask, either of the perspectives would be proven beyond reasonable doubts.
An average Nigerian league player or coach has the most horrible stories to tell about referees in all the tiers of the country’s league, but ironically, a lot of them maintain relationships with these refs off the field of play.
Football administrators are also on either side of the divide, depending on how mutual their relationships with the men in the middle is. For the fans, they can only watch from afar and wonder why certain things they can’t comprehend happen in the game they love so much. And when results don’t go their way, they vent their anger on the refs, inflicting serious injuries on them, in some cases.
From the Nigeria Professional Football League to the Nigeria Women’s Football League and the lower tiers of the men and women’s game in the country, there are different circumstances that have shaped these perspectives.
As a result of being perceived as enemies of their teams by overzealous fans, Nigerian refs have been assaulted on many occasions due to circumstances beyond their control, thus making them the victims and enemies of the game at the same time. It is hard to recall any situation where the referees have been applauded openly as much as they are given the stick.
First experience
While the crazy culture of assaulting referees has been a long-time occurrence in the Nigerian leagues, our correspondent first witnessed it in 2015 at the Ondo State Sports Complex in Akure, during an NPFL game between Sunshine Stars and Lobi Stars.
It was the run-in to the end of the season and Sunshine were on course for the title as well as a return to the continent. Needing a win to keep up their neck-and-neck race with Enyimba and Warri Wolves, the Akure side were frustrated by their resilient visitors, who struck them against the run of play to take a 3-2 lead with time fast running out.
With about 10 minutes left on the clock, projectiles began to fly onto the pitch after what the fans perceived as unfavourable officiating towards their darling team. The home fans made the atmosphere uneasy and it became impossible for the centre ref and his assistants to continue the game, much to the anger of the fans.
Sunshine Stars players, perhaps aware of the consequences of such acts, went round the stands to appeal to their fans, but their pleas fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the game did not continue as the officials were stranded on the pitch, leaving them at the mercy of unruly fans, who were bent on dealing blows and sticks on them. The referee and his assistants had to be wheeled away in a vehicle thought to belong to the then chairman of the Ondo State Football Agency, Akin Akinbobola, which was driven straight onto the pitch and the sticks that could have landed on the officials landed on the car instead.
The last 10 minutes of the game was played in Abuja and Sunshine Stars were subsequently banned to the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos for the remainder of the season.
