President Federation Cup: Focus on officiating officials, as teams seek final slot
President Federation Cup: Focus on officiating officials, as teams seek final slot
The finalists for this year’s President Federation Cup will be determined today, as the two semi-final matches of the prestigious competition holds in two centres: Kwara United Football Club taking on Rangers at the Water front in Lagos, and Abakaliki FC and Ikorodu City battle at the Bwari Stadium in Abuja.
Equally, the semi-finals of the Female version will hold today.
Ultimately, more focus will be on the four centres, where four finalists, two for the male and two for the female are expected to emerge. Focus will be on the officials, in terms of conduct, operations and behaviour before, during and after the matches.
This is the crucial stage of the competition, and the second to the last step towards determining the fourth team that will fly the country’s flag at the continent next season. It's very important producing a deserved champion.
The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has, expectedly, produced the three continental teams; two for the Champions League, and one for the Confederation Cup.
Apart from the bid to produce the winners deservedly from the semi-finals as well as the final, the referees in charge would need to protect their integrity and image, especially in a system where they are being viewed as biased Umpires. This is another stage to make things right.
Uncomfirmed reports have it that some of the referees were seen at airports that doesn't correspond with the bases where they are coming from.
First, the owners and organisers of the competition, going by record, didn't provide flight tickets for referees for the matches. And, it's certain that no Nigerian referee is buoyant enough to take one to the venue of his assignment, and not even from an odd base.
Reports that referees are seen taking flights in and out of Enugu State, even if not confirmed, must be investigated. Also, some of the masquerade who are working behind the scene should need to be investigated, too.
If Davidson Owumi, who, as the Chief Operating Officer of the NPFL, is still the Chairman of Rangers International, finds it difficult to help the club win the league title this term, he can also be working behind the scene to help the club out with the Federation Cup title.
The appointed referees would need to be re-scrutinised and investigated. This is the semi-final stage of the competition, and for it to be judged as worthwhile, officiating officials must be upright, and apply a 50/50 dictate on the field of play.
