Ogunbote risks NPFL sanction over refs comments

3 days ago 26

Shooting Stars coach Gbenga Ogunbote has been invited by the Nigeria Premier Football League board for an investigative hearing over comments he made after their southwest derby defeat to Ikorodu City on Sunday, November 17, in Lagos, The PUNCH reports.

The experienced gaffer is to appear before the NPFL Disciplinary Committee for an inquest on Tuesday, December, 3 by 10 am at the league’s secretariat in the Jabi district of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

According to a statement released by the NPFL, the board considers some of the positions he expressed as a breach of the code of conduct for NPFL coaches.

“We have taken note of certain unguarded public statements attributed to you following the Matchday 12 fixture between Ikorodu City FC v Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC), held on  November 17, 2024,” the NPFL said in a statement.

“Your remarks, as reported, appear to contravene the league’s Code of Conduct for Coaches and Officials by casting aspersions on the integrity of the match officials and the league’s governance structure.

“These actions are considered detrimental to the reputation of the NPFL and its stakeholders.”

The said comments by Ogunbtoe were made after 3SC’s fifth defeat of the season which saw them drop to 12th position in the table, forcing the experienced gaffer to come hard against the men in the middle one more time this season.

“Honestly, it’s unfortunate,” Ogunbote said in his post-match interview via 3SC Fans TV.

“We needed not to have come. They should have just given the game to Ikorodu City, there would be no point wasting resources on how to play. There is now how football is played this way, even in an undeveloped society. How do you explain this?

“We didn’t play any games. Do you regard this as a game between two teams? We reported several incidents but it all fell on deaf ears.”

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