By Rabiu Sanusi
Captain of the Nigerian national football team, the Super Eagles, Ahmed Musa, has openly criticized the officiating in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Matchday 9 fixture between Nasarawa United and Kano Pillars, labeling the officials as “moral killers” for their handling of Sunday’s encounter at the Lafia City Stadium.
The officiating team, led by center referee Dahiru Muhammed Kawo and assistant referee Abdulmajid Sani Potiskum from Adamawa and Gombe states, respectively, made several avoidable errors. These included allowing a controversial goal by Nasarawa United, where two players, including the goalscorer, appeared to be in offside positions, and failing to ensure a consistent flow to the game.
Speaking to newsmen after the game, Musa expressed his disappointment, emphasizing that these officiating lapses demoralize players and impact the league’s credibility.
The Nigeria’s all-time FIFA World Cup top scorer recently returned to his boyhood club, Kano Pillars, along with Shehu Abdullahi, hoping to contribute to Nigerian football at a domestic level. Their return has inspired other Super Eagles players to consider finishing their careers in the NPFL. However, Musa now questions his decision due to the questionable officiating.
“I’ve been praising the officiating and the progress in the league up until now, but the performance of the officials in this matchday 9 game makes me wonder if coming back to play in the NPFL was the right choice,” Musa remarked.
To foster the league’s growth, Musa believes it is critical to overhaul the officiating standards, stating, “For the league to improve, we need to address the quality of officiating. Officials must not be allowed to diminish the players’ morale and effort.”
He further added that if officiating remains poor, he would struggle to recommend the league to his fellow Super Eagles teammates. “If I keep witnessing such officiating, I cannot encourage anyone to return to the NPFL. It would be a waste of our efforts if this continues.”
Musa also urged the NPFL management to take disciplinary action against officials who sabotage the league’s progress, saying that enforcing accountability would deter others from similar conduct.
On his decision to play in the NPFL over international offers, the former Leicester City and CSKA Moscow forward explained, “I wanted to help elevate the NPFL to European standards. But with officiating like what I saw in Lafia, it doesn’t reflect a serious league.”
In a related response, Kano Pillars Technical Adviser Usman Abdallah echoed Musa’s sentiments, calling for decisive actions against officials damaging the league’s image. Abdallah also questioned why the game wasn’t broadcast live as previously scheduled by the league’s broadcast partners, StarTimes, with no prior communication about the change.
“With officiating like what we experienced in Lafia, the NPFL will struggle to progress,” Abdallah concluded.
The Pyramid City side lose the encounter by a goal to nil and will next trade tackles with Plateau Utd in the Matchday 10.
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