NPFL: LMC throws out Rivers United protest

Organisers of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), the League Management Company (LMC) has thrown out a protest by Rivers United against Jigawa Golden Stars, www.aclsports.com reports. 

United had written to the league body on Thursday, July 22, 2021 to protest the fielding of an ineligible player by their Match Day 34 opponents in the game they lost 1-2 at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna.

Rivers United argued that Jigawa midfielder Richard Christopher was suspended for the game according to the copy of the disciplinary information made available to the opposing club for the said match day.

United thus prayed the LMC to ensure that maximum penalty for the negligence is paid by Jigawa Golden Stars, which according to the LMC Rules and Framework Section C, Article 5 states that any club that has intentionally fielded an ineligible player will lose the 3 goals and 3 points to their opponents.

However, in their ruling on the matter, the LMC stated that it has established that Jigawa Golden Stars did not actually receive the said notification and so would not punish them in any way.

The LMC admitted its own fault in sending the notice of suspension to a wrong email address which had not been used in their correspondences with the club throughout the current league season.

The league body however berated Rivers United for not acting in line with the Fair Play requirement of the league by not raising the motion of suspension at any point before the encounter.

Consequently, it was ruled that the result of the game (2-1 win for Jigawa Golden Stars) stands while the said player shall serve the suspension as directed by the league body.

Jigawa Golden Stars currently occupy the last relegation spot on the league table (17th) with two matches left while Rivers United are fifth on the log and still in the frame to earn a continental ticket at the end of the season.