ABUJA – The League Management (LMC) has rescheduled the week 35 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) clash between Giwa Football Club of Jos and Nasarawa United FC of Lafia for Thursday.
The match was initially rescheduled for Oct. 29 at the FIFA Goal Project pitch in Abuja, with the Jos-based side not showing up.
The LMC later shifted the match to Oct. 30 after it granted Giwa FC a 24-hour reprieve following its claim that it was obeying a Nigeria Football Association (NFA) directive.
The club had said the NFA had ordered that the match be put on hold.
But, in spite of the 24-hour reprieve, Giwa FC still failed to honour the match, leading to walk-over formalities being observed by the match officials in favour of Nasarawa United.
However, Salihu Abubakar, LMC’s Chief Operations Officer, told NAN on Wednesday in Abuja that the two clubs have now been directed to replay the game on Thursday.
Sammy Adesoji, Giwa FC’s Director of Marketing who also doubles as the team’s Assistant Coach, told NAN his side was ready to play the game.
“Our boys are not scared of Nasarawa United and by the grace of God we will get the deserved result to secure a continental ticket.
“The boys have been motivated by our club chairman, Chris Giwa, and they are in high spirits for the game,’’ he said.
In his own reaction, Isaac Danladi, the Chairman, Nasarawa United FC, said his club had written a protest letter over the decision to replay the match.
He claimed he was in receipt of two letters from LMC, saying “one of the letters communicated that we had been awarded three points and three goals for the match, while the second letter said we will replay the match on Thursday’’.
NAN reports that Giwa FC had beaten Sharks FC of Port Harcourt 2-1 in a rescheduled NPFL week 33 tie at the FIFA Goal Project pitch on Wednesday.
The result placed Giwa FC ninth on the 20-club NPFL log, with 54 points from 36 games.(NAN)
