The manager of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry, MFM FC, Fidelis Ilechukwu, is a disappointed man following a bizarre delay tactics by his goalkeeper, Folarin Abayomi, in their win against Bendel Insurance on Sunday.
MFM defeated Insurance 2-0 in a week 11 encounter in the NPFL thanks to two set piece goals in either half from Abisoye Olawale and Michael Ohanu at the Soccer Temple, Agege.
It was MFM’s sixth consecutive win at home but despite expressing his satisfaction with the result, Ilechukwu was left fuming at a strange decision by his goalkeeper, Abayomi.
With the Olukoya Boys comfortable, and no player remotely close to him, Abayomi bizarrely went to the ground after catching a loose ball, holding his head and rolling on the pitch deep into the second half.
There was obviously no contact with anyone on the pitch nor was there an object thrown from the stands. But Abayomi still fell dramatically to the ground in what was a deliberate delay tactics.
Speaking to ACLSports.com on the incident moments after the match, Ilechukwu in no uncertain terms condemned his goalkeeper, and says his behaviour was not something he encourages.
“I don’t encourage that,” Ilechukwu told aclsports. “[Because] when you have an advantage to get more goals, I was very upset about that.”
“In football, it is not about delay because when you delay, you give your opponents the advantage to wake up. In that advantage we had, i expected to score more goals- three, four goals- but because of the delay.”
“It is the type of football mentality in Nigeria [and] I don’t like that. All I want to do is, if you want to delay, delay by ball possession not going to the ground [unchallenged]. It is uncalled for, it is not good football.”
The result against Insurance ensured MFM stay top of Group A on 21 points, five ahead of second placed Enyimba, who played out a goalless draw with their Sunshine Stars, in Akure.
