IMC suspends referee for disallowing
goal in Rivers Utd, Tornadoes match

THE Interim Management Committee, organisers of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), have suspended referee Faro Abdulrahman following his controversial decision during Rivers United’s matchday 3 clash with Niger Tornadoes on Tuesday.

  Rivers United sealed a 2-1 win over Tornadoes at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt to claim their second win of the season and move to first place in Group B.

  All the goals were scored in the first half of the encounter with goals from Enyinaya Godswill and Chidiebube Duru – either side of Waheed Adebayo’s penalty goal for the visitors – handing the champions maximum points.

  A decisive moment in the encounter, however, arrived shortly before the halftime break when Niger Tornadoes scored what appeared to be a legitimate goal.

  A fine corner delivered into the danger area was completely misjudged by the Rivers United goalkeeper, allowing a Tornadoes player to volley the ball into the net for what would have been the equaliser.

  But referee Faro Abdulrahman, from the Lagos Referee Council, voided the goal for a supposed infringement on the hosts’ goalkeeper to the chagrin of the visitors.

  However, in a commendably swift move by the IMC, referee Faro Abdulrahman has been suspended from all NPFL-related activities.

  Mr. Faro Abdulrahman will face a disciplinary panel of the NFF Referee’s Committee where further sanctions could be imposed on the erring official.