June, 29 2023.
With just three days to the kick-off of the 3rd edition of the Nigeria National League (NNL) promotional play-offs billed for Asaba the capital of Delta State, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), through its Referees Committee has listed sixteen football arbiters, comprising eight Referees and eight Assistant Referees to officiate the matches.
The Referees appointed are; Ovie Ibodor from Delta State, Jonathan Zakariyah (Kaduna), Lawal Shuaibu Mohammed (Taraba) and Olaniyi Oladapo
(Ondo).
Others are; AkaChukwu Igwebuike (Anambara), Promise Amadi (Rivers), Adejoh Godwin (Kwara) and Yusuf Ibrahim from Jigawa State.
The Assistant Referees listed are; Joel Otah (Delta State), Abba Dada (Yobe), Osumah Abidoye (Edo), Julius Takyum (Nasarawa), Adebiyi Ayodeji (Oyo), Friday Emeje (Kogi), Omada Emmanuel (Edo) and Akilu Usman from Zamfara State.
A careful study by www.ckdmedia.ng revealed that no woman made the list and some of the finest referees in Lagos and the FCT were left out by the Committee, headed by Retd.FIFA Referee, Faith Irabor.
Similarly, none of the referees and assistant referees are from the seven states of the federation and the FCT, whose teams will be featuring at the NNL Super 8.
This we reliably gathered was a deliberate attempt to ensure fairness and uphold the sporting integrity of the play-offs as well as the nation's second tier league, as a whole.
Also appointed are two match assessors; Mike Uhumwango from Edo State, and Peter Edibe (Retired FIFA Referee) from Cross River State. Abel Baba from Kogi Stayed will function as Referees Trainer, while a staff of the NFF Refereeing Unit, Omiwole Taiwo will coordinate all the match officials, who must arrive in Asaba on June 30th, latest.
Heartland of Owerri, FC One Rocket of Uyo, Stommers SC of Abeokuta and Sporting Lagos will compete for the two tickets on offer in the Southern Conference, whilst Kano Pillars, Katsina United, DMD FC of Maiduguri and EFCC FC of Abuja slug it out for the two promotion tickets to the NPFL, in the northern conference.
Draws for the play-offs will hold on the eve of the kick-off, scheduled for July 1st and all the matches, which will take a mini round-robin format, are to be played at the Stephen Keshiw Memorial Stadium in Asaba, Delta State.
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