Organisers of the 2022 Bishop Mike Okonkwo Football Championship have disqualified Dominion Hotspur FC, which defeated AUX Exclusive FC 4-0 in one of the semifinals, from further participation in the contest.

Rather, AUX Exclusive were cleared to play in the final game against G Innovation on September 3. Dominion Hotspur also faces a one-year ban from the competition.

Drama ensued after the  semifinal encounter when the technical committee of the competition checked Dominion Hotspur’s registration process and discovered that the team used eight unregistered players to prosecute the encounter.

Chairman, Organising Committee of the Trem Football Championship, Malachy Ndubuzor, told The Guardian that Dominion Hotspur FC was disqualified to maintain the high standard of the championship by following the rules of the competition.

“The LOC has, after post match investigations, discovered that Dominion Hotspur FC flouted the rules, that is that only players duly registered can feature in the competition and as provided in Rules 2&3 of the MOFC Season ‘18, which states that every registered player will be issued with a players licence, hereinafter called  ‘The Player’s License.’

“On the licence shall be the following: A current passport photograph of the player, his names and the position of play. All these would be used as a form of identification.

“Our discovery further showed that Dominion Hotspur FC fielded eight unregistered players to prosecute the semifinal match by mutilating the Cutouts and infusing photographs of unknown players. This totally contravenes our rules as it is an undue advantage over their opponent and therefore not acceptable and cannot be condoned by the LOC,” Ndubuzor said.

Consequent upon this, he explained that the LOC rose from a post- match meeting held on August 14, 2022 with the decision that the semifinal match between Aux Exclusive Media FC and Dominion Hotspur FC, although won by Dominion Hotspur FC, be upturned, with Aux Exclusive Media FC recognised as the winners of the match.

In the men’s second semifinal, Samjason FC lost to G innovation 1-0, but they automatically got the bronze medal. In the women’s semifinals, Lakeside beat Danas Queen 2-0, while Young Talent defeated Nakamura FA 5-4 via a penalty shoot out that separated the sides after regular time had ended 0-0.

Defending champions, Young Talent, will face Lakeside in the final of the football  championship at Yaba College of Technology football pitch on September 3.