The absence of VAR is ruining Nigeria’s local football!
Poor turf condition impacts the standard of NPFL play.
By Edwin Emeanua-Editor
Everything is good all over the world, but when re-evaluated in Nigeria, chances are, they turn remarkably ugly quickly. Take football, for instance. In Nigeria, the absence of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) has made the game a total MESS.
Interestingly, soccer, the round leather game, or football, and it does not matter what you use to qualify the game, is called: ‘The Beautiful Game,’ and justifiably so.
Yet, the best word to describe the state of the game in Nigeria is the dark but sinister word, ‘deplorable.’ How come?
Despite the affluence of passionate football fans in Nigeria, the game suffers from appalling administration or organization, which trickles down to other myriads of issues like bad pitch conditions, bribery, corruption, poor officiating, match-fixing, fetish and unorthodox religious practices, and crowd violence, among other problems.
The advent of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in football venues worldwide was lauded and is now old news, but when it comes to Nigeria, it is fake news. The presence of VAR in Nigeria is, at best, an apparition for drunk eyes. It does not exist.
Nigerians tend to pride themselves as the giants of Africa, but in reality, the most populous Black Nation is a behemoth laughing stock for peers and superiors.
Akinade Onigbinde is the Technical Adviser of Doma United Football Club of Gombe. Hear him out in this post-game interview with Tribune Sports reporter Temisan Amoye.
Akinade Onigbinde: Laments absence of VAR in NPFL
“The absence of VAR affected the outcome of the match Day 3 fixture in the abridged 2022/2023 (NPFL) season between us and Dakkada FC of Uyo on Sunday at the Pantami Township Stadium in Gombe.” Onigbinde fumed.
The coach swore that his newly-promoted side would have recorded more goals for their good should VAR be introduced.
He added: “The goal that the referee did not give was good. Now is the time to call for VAR in our football, too, because actually, we had a goal there.
“We were supposed to use the advantage because it passed through the line. I saw the ball, which was a goal.
“After that, we had a clear handball situation against our opponents: a penalty kick.
Despite his disappointment, Onigbinde would not fault the referee for such human errors but rather commended the man in the middle and his assistants on the flanks for the improvements they could make in the absence of VAR.
The game ended in a 1-0 victory for the home side.
In yet another chapter in the trouble-plagued NPFL, Aliyu Zubairu, the Gombe United Football Club’s Technical Adviser, on Sunday, January 29, was enraged over a disallowed goal by the referee in his team’s MatchDay 4 fixture in the Group B of the abridged 2022/2023 Nigeria NPFL.
Aliyu Zubairu, the Gombe United Football Club’s Technical Adviser, wants to see improvement in the officiating of games in the NPFL
The game ended in a 1-1 stalemate with visiting Nasarawa United of Lafia at the same Pantami Township Stadium in Gombe.
“There are no two ways about it; the referee disallowed a good goal, a goal by FIFA standard, the best goal you have seen.”
“There are no two ways about it, the referee disallowed a good goal, a goal by FIFA standard, the best goal you have seen,” Zubairu told Tribune Sports.
“I was robbed of a good goal. It is as simple as that. Since the league started, we have lost on home ground and commended the referee. But this referee did not (do something commendable).
”Why will he disallow such a goal? That is my argument.”
The Gombe United Gaffer accused some Nigerian referees of playing god by determining match outcomes, adding that if the referee had done his due diligence, the game against Nasarawa United would have had a different ending.
“If he had allowed that goal, that would have gingered my boys to have a better result. But he (the referee) refused.” Zubairu argued.
At about the same time at Zaria Road Stadium in Jos, Dipreye Teibowei, Head Coach Bayelsa United, was reserved with the officiating in his side’s MatchDay 4 apparent roasting by their hosts Lobi Stars of Makurdi.
Dipreye Teibowei, Bayelsa United Head Coach
“Even though Lobi Stars scored clean goals, the officiating has a lot of question marks as the referee favored a side,” the Bayelsa UnitedGaffer complained to Tribune Sports after the engagement.
Teibowe forecasted darker days for the NFPL should the status quo remain the same.
“How can you say you want to improve the league’s standard, and the referees are still officiating this way?” He queried.
“If we continue like this, our standard will never improve.”
