You are frustrating our sponsors, supporters, Alli tells referees

Nigeria and Africa long jump legend, Yusuf Alli.

Olympian, Yusuf Alli, has urged the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) and the league’s Interim Management Committee (IMC) to urgently halt what he described as ‘dangerous’ officiating in the ongoing 2023 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season before the league returns to its inglorious day. He said the attitude of some of the referees is destroying the gains made at the beginning of season.

Alli, who is the executive chairman of Edo State Sports Commission (ESSC), revealed that some top clubs in the NPFL are ganging up against Bendel Insurance, a club with a rich pedigree, which they see as a ‘small club’ because it just gained promotion from NNL and is dominating giants and has remained unbeaten this season.

Since the 2023 season began, Bendel Insurance has been in splendid form, winning home and away. He said the ‘gang-up’ against the club was particularly terrible in Aba, when the team played against Enyimba two weeks ago.

“The referee gave a questionable penalty against Insurance, a decision that even the home team supporters found strange. Despite intimidation from the referee, the Benin Arsenal still managed to leave Aba with a point. If referees are hostile to the club away, their home games are not different; the referees are also playing against them in their home matches,” he said.

According to Alli, in Bendel Insurance’s last match against Akwa United in Benin, which was witnessed by Edo State’s Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu and Davidson Owumi of IMC, Bendel Insurance were denied a clear penalty and the referee, undoubtedly lacking in acumen, admitted that it was actually a penalty, but he had to deny Insurance because an official of Akwa United