NFF Hammer Gateway With N1m Fine, Order Replay Of ABS Match
Gateway FC, you are hereby ordered to pay N1m fine. And you shall replay the game against ABS.
That is the judgment of the Nigeria Football Federation’s Disciplinary Committee on the abandoned final game of the Nigeria National League season between Gateway FC and ABS.
The committee also ordered a replay of the match behind closed doors, with ABS, who are the hosts, providing adequate security.
Filed a protest
Gateway had protested the walkover on October 30 in Ilorin over security problems.
ABS, who are top of Division B2 of the league, needed a win in the match to gain promotion to the Premier League.
And they were awarded three points and three goals after thirty minutes of the match following the refusal of Gateway to play.
Found guilty
But in a decision on Thursday, the NFF committee found the Ogun State side guilty for refusing to play the match.
They were then fined N1m, which should be paid before November 8, as the game will be replayed the following day.
An administrator has question to answer
The committee also reprimanded the Ogun State Commissioner for Sports, Afolabi Afuape.
Afuape was alleged to have instructed Gateway players to leave the stadium, despite arriving at the venue before kick-off.
“For failure to honour the fixture obligation, Gateway FC is in breach of Rule 4.2(1) of the Rules of the NNL.
”Thus, Gateway FC shall pay the stipulated fine of N1,000,000 (One Million Naira only) to the NNL on or before Tuesday, November 8, 2016,” the committee’s decision statement read.
