By Muhammed Ogwu, Lafia
Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa has called on the leadership of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) to take proactive steps to urgently address the poor officiating by the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA) before it jeopardizes the ongoing 2024/2025 league season.
Musa, a former Leicester City star and now a senior player for Kano Pillars, made this statement in an interview with our correspondent in Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State. He described the poor officiating in the match between Nasarawa United FC and his current team, Kano Pillars FC, at Lafia City Stadium on Sunday, October 27, 2024. He warned that if the unprofessional behavior of the Nigeria referees is not properly addressed, it could undermine the prospects and progress of the NPFL.
Reflecting on his experience, the ex-Leicester City, CSKA Moscow, and Nigeria international expressed disappointment, saying, “I have been praising the league for the past eight games, but this is the ninth game, and I can’t even explain what to say about it because the referees seem to be making us feel that the decision and the sacrifice we made to return to the Nigeria Professional League is a waste of time.”
Musa’s presence in Lafia attracted football lovers and casual fans alike, and he took the opportunity to commend the NPFL leadership for modernizing the league. He emphasized that sustaining these efforts could attract international recognition, but lamented that if urgent actions are not taken to address the issues, it would tarnish the image of Nigerian football in the near future.
He stated, “I want to use this opportunity to call on the leadership of the Nigeria Premier Football League to, as a matter of urgency, caution the actions of the referees. Otherwise, they will destroy and frustrate the efforts of the NPFL in building and redeeming the league’s image. It is crucial for them to change their attitude whenever they officiate matches so that our Nigeria league can attract international repute.”
Musa concluded, “If this kind of officiating continues, I definitely would not encourage anyone to return to the league. We want our league to progress, just as we see in Europe. But with the bad officiating I observed in yesterday’s match between Nasarawa United FC and Kano Pillars at Lafia City Stadium, I doubt if we are ready to work and standardize Nigeria’s league.”