Aliyu Zubairu, the Technical Adviser of Gombe United Football Club, on Sunday, rued their failure to end Bendel Insurance’s unbeaten run in the ongoing 2022/2023 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
Zubairu insisted that their plan was frustrated by poor officiating by centre referee Babayanje Saed during the Group A Match Day 16 fixture at the Pantami Stadium in Gombe.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the match ended goalless.
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Zubairu told sports journalists shortly after the match that the attitude of the referee during the game was questionable and should be properly investigated by the league organisers.
”The attitude of the officiating referee in stopping the game intermittently without good reasons frustrated the flow of ball which affected my players’ performance on the pitch.
“The action of the referee created tension during the game and this affected the morale of my team and this made the visiting team to escape defeat.
“The referee did not allow the game to flow, the officiating in general. They were stopping the match with no reason and that was done for more than six times.
“They were inviting unnecessary pressure, and I think the organisers should ask him why he did what he did,” he said.
Zubairu said after doing his part of coaching his players on how to play, it was regrettable that the referee did not allow the game to go freely.
“We did not play up to 70 minutes all through the game. Once the game was progressing, he (the referee) was always coming up with an antic to stop the game for a minute or two.
“The organisers should look into this. When the league started, the referees were doing well but, as for this referee, I don’t know what to say,” he said.
Zubairu said if the referee had officiated fairly and provided a level playing ground during the game “there would have been no escape route for our opponents.
“If this is how they (Bendel Insurance) are getting the officiating in order to remain unbeaten, they will remain unbeatable.
“NPFL this season has been very good but I am sorry to say that if this is how Bendel Insurance have remained unbeaten, then it is a flaw.”
On his part, Bendel Insurance’s head coach, Monday Odigie, told NAN he was disappointed with the host team’s attitude in spite of getting warm welcome when they visited Benin.
Odigie said the hosts failed to reciprocate the kind gesture they got at Bendel Insurance’s home ground during the first round.
“But coming here, they want to win at all cost. I don’t know what to say. It (the attitude of the hosts) is not expected of a country that wants its Premiership to be sold out.
“When they (Gombe United) came to Benin, we had good football, and they played a draw. They were cheered, and we hugged ourselves before leaving the pitch. But see what the coach is now doing.
“Looking at this, does he want to win it by all means?,” he asked.
NAN also reports that Saed was assisted by Adamu Abdullahi and Anaekwe Christian during the match.
