Go Round FC’s promotion aspirations suffered a momentary set-back on Sunday morning when they lost 0-1 at struggling NNL side, Papilo FC.
The modest side from Omoku near Port Harcourt held on for over ¾ of the game but conceded with seven minutes left when Taylor Adebayo scored for the hosts.
The Nigerian National League (second tier) match was called off in the 20th minute on Saturday when torrential downpour rendered the Dan Anyiam Stadium turf unplayable. The game resumed on Sunday morning and resulted in the loss which leaves Go Round FC in third spot on the log.
“I am not impressed with the match officials. They have to do better. In a game that we played with three policemen. And it is high time we educate fans in this part,” Go Round coach, Ngozi Elechi cried to ACLSports.
“My boys played very well. We lost because of the harassment and the referee issuing our players yellow cards at any given time.”
Elechi’s counterpart at Papilo FC Obinna Uzoho differed with Elechi, insisting the officiating was fair enough.
“I don’t believe in all those things. We just come to play our football. I didn’t see anything going wrong. We should have had many penalties but the referee didn’t give them. He left everything 50-50.
“He just wanted to take a message home but I don’t believe in all that,” said Uzoho.
Uzoho in a good show of rare sportsmanship in Nigeria’s second division also complimented his opponents.
“They are a good team. Like I keep telling everybody, they are the only team that played good football (in the reverse fixture) in this league. I was planning to play them the way they played us and that was what happened today,” Uzoho added.
Papilo FC, owned by African football legend Nwankwo Kanu, in their first season in the NNL are 10th on the league log.
