ABUJA – The rescheduled week 35 match in the 2013/2014 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) between Giwa FC and Nasarawa United will now be played on Nov. 14, an official has said.
Isaac Danladi, the Chairman of Nasarawa United FC, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja that the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) Appeals Committee gave the order.
He said the committee ordered on Wednesday that the match be played on Friday morning in Abuja.
NAN recalls that the Lafia-based Nasarawa United were in Abuja on Oct. 29 for the rescheduled match but Giwa FC failed to show up.
The League Management Company (LMC) then gave the Jos-based Giwa FC, who were the match’s hosts, a 24-hour reprieve, but they still failed to show up.
Nasarawa United, along with the match organising officials, as well as the Match Commissioner and the referees, were all present and the walk-over procedure was followed.
However, NFA’s Organising and Disciplinary (O&D) Committee later ordered both sides to replay the match on Nov. 5, but Giwa FC showed up while Nasarawa United stayed away.
LMC later fixed Nov. 12 for both sides to meet, but Nasarawa United still stayed away, insisting that they had got a walk-over and headed to the Appeals Committee.
Danladi told NAN that the committee ruled that “LMC acted in fairness, good sportsmanship and in the overall interest of the league when it ordered a replay’’.
He quoted the committee’s letter to the club management on Wednesday as saying it also affirmed LMC’s sanction of N1 million on Giwa FC.
“It said this was on the basis of Giwa FC’s lack of diligence during the period of the botched fixture.
“However, the committee also ruled that LMC will bear Nasarawa United’s cost during the failed dates with Giwa FC,’’ Danladi said.
He however said he had just received the committee’s directives, and it was premature for him to decide whether or not his club would still honour the match.
“I need to meet with the club management so that we can sit and decide,’’ Danladi said.(NAN)
