LMC sets conditions for matches in Lafia, suspends match commissioner

• Fines Nasarawa United N6m

The League Management Company (LMC) has ordered that no Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) will hold in Lafia until medical requirements and measures stipulated in the League Rules are fully complied with.

This is sequel to incident that happened during a Matchday 23 fixture between Nasarawa United and Katsina United, where a Nasarawa United player, Chineme Martins slumped and died on the pitch.

The LMC also wrote to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) requesting that the Match Commissioner in the said fixture, Mr. Christian Mbah from Enugu State Football Association, be withdrawn permanently from further participation in NPFL matches, for failure to perform his statutorily duty to ensure all requirements, including medical personnel and equipment, were in place before allowing the match to go ahead and for also failing to submit his match report within the stipulated time frame despite the aggravated incident from the match.

The NFF in another letter by the LMC, was also requested to trim the number of those selected as Match Commissioners in NPFL matches and retain only those who have demonstrated high level of competence in enforcing provisions of the NFF Club Licensing Requirements. This is in line with un-going review of strategies to improve existing medical protocols and general security at NPFL Match venues.

Other Match Commissioners were reminded that they must on no account start a match where the full compliments of medics are not available at the venue.

The LMC disclosed that a tripartite committee of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports, NFF, LMC and other key stakeholders would be constituted by the NFF in consultation with the Minister of Youth and Sports to review the incident in Lafia and make recommendations on how to improve matchday medical services and general security of players, officials and fans among other steps aimed at improving the NPFL match day organization and experience across all venues.

Nasarawa United, which were charged with breaches of several NPFL rules, were fined a total of N6 million, which they must pay within 10 days, as well as a suspended fine of sis points deduction/forfeiture, which ‘would be activated should a similar breach occur before the end of the 2020/2021 season.’