NLO playoff match ends in controversy after FC Ebedei walk off in Akure

Chairman of Yewa Football Academy, Mojeed Ibrahim, described the incident as “a troubling moment for Nigerian football,” insisting that the match ended because FC Ebedei elected to leave the pitch.

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A Nationwide League One (NLO) promotional playoff match between Yewa Football Academy and FC Ebedei ended in controversy on Saturday after FC Ebedei players walked off the pitch following a serious injury to Yewa goalkeeper Olalere Ridwan.

The match, played at the Akure Township Stadium, was goalless when play was disrupted by a collision involving the Yewa goalkeeper, who reportedly lost consciousness and required urgent medical attention.

According to the official match commissioner’s report, the incident occurred late in the first half. The report noted that the injured goalkeeper’s condition was considered serious and required immediate medical intervention.

The match commissioner further stated that FC Ebedei players left the field around the 45th minute and failed to return despite efforts by match officials to resume play. After observing the mandatory waiting period stipulated by the rules, the referee called off the encounter with the score at 0-0.

However, officials of Yewa Football Academy have disputed suggestions that the game was abandoned because of the goalkeeper’s injury.

Chairman of Yewa Football Academy, Mojeed Ibrahim, described the incident as “a troubling moment for Nigerian football,” insisting that the match ended because FC Ebedei elected to leave the pitch.

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“A football match cannot end because one side decides it is over,” Mr Mojeed told PREMIUM TIMES.

He stated that while the injured goalkeeper was receiving treatment, FC Ebedei owner Barrister Churchill Oliseh allegedly instructed his players to leave the field without any directive from the referee.

“I was in the stands and found it deeply disturbing, especially as the match was being live-streamed. Viewers witnessed a breakdown of order, which does no good to the image of the league,” he said.

Mr Mojeed added that collisions are part of football and should not automatically lead to the termination of matches.

“It is important to correct the record, the match was not abandoned because of the injury, but because one team chose to walk away,” he said.

In a separate statement, Yewa Football Academy said the reserve referee had already cleared its reserve goalkeeper to replace the injured player and that the match was ready to continue.

“Contrary to reports, the game was not abandoned due to a collision between our goalkeeper and an FC Ebedei player,” the club said.

The Reserve Referee had already cleared our second-choice goalkeeper to replace the injured keeper, and the game was ready to continue.”

The club further alleged that FC Ebedei players “walked off the pitch without any justifiable reason.”

As of the time of filing this report, FC Ebedei had not publicly responded to the allegations made by Yewa Football Academy and its chairman.

ALSO READ: How Rivers United’s Champions League collapse exposes cracks in Nigerian football

The incident is expected to be reviewed by the NLO, which will determine the fixture’s outcome and any possible disciplinary measures in accordance with the competition’s regulations.

Best practices

Football regulations generally state that only the referee has the authority to abandon a match, while clubs are expected to continue playing unless otherwise directed by match officials. When a team leaves the field without permission or refuses to resume play after being instructed to do so, disciplinary committees often impose sanctions ranging from forfeitures to fines and suspensions. Although the NLO will rely on its specific competition rules and the reports of the referee and match commissioner, the league is not expected to depart significantly from these established principles that govern football competitions worldwide.

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Tunde Eludini

Tunde Eludini is a graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Nigeria where he studied International Relations. He is a Senior Correspondent coordinating the sports section for PREMIUM TIMES. Twitter: @tundeyeludini

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