FOOTBALL: NIGERIA'S AMATEUR LEAGUE IS IN DANGER, AKINSEHIENDE CRIES OUT. ..... Says Unpatriotic Officials And Persons Are Killing The Game

"Some people ‘at the top’ are using their positions to influence some referees towards carrying out their dirty jobs in order to witch-hunt teams like ours that have posed as threat to their own sides." Akin Akinsehiende.

Former ex-international and member of the Super Eagles Nations Cup Winning Team, Akin Akinsehiende has slammed officiating officers of the Nigeria Amateur League and the manner in which games are handled.

Berating the officials, the ex-international described the situation at the Amateur League as frustrating the efforts of former footballers who undertook local and international coaching trainings with the aim of further developing the round leather game at the grassroots levels where budding talents are discovered. 

According to Akinsehiende, a top name in the round leather game who had given the likes of Rasheed Yekini, a run for their money during the hey scoring days in the Super Eagles; Nigeria’s senior national team, “some scrupulous officials are in the habit of frustrating games following ‘financial inducements’ from team owners and making unnecessary financial demands.”

Okinsehiende, in his playing days

Akinsehiende, who is now the General Manager of “The Seat of God Football Club, based in Kaduna and a strong side in the Nigeria Amateur Football League, complained about the standard of officiating in the second round of the nationwide league matches especially as it involves his team, even while playing their games at home.

The former Zamalek of Egypt star who also plied his trade in Europe, wondered how a team that did not lose a match in the first round of the competition, would suddenly lose two home games in a row, in spite of being the best side throughout the 90 minutes of the game, is not just suspicious but frightening.” 

Akinsehiende

"Obviously, that is suspicious, an indication of bad officiating, a very dangerous trend and bad omen for the development of grassroots football that is capable of destroying the efforts and contributions of sponsors of the game that acts as a unifier to all Nigerians irrespective of religion, ethnicity or tribe."

"These are some of the type of things that discourages private investors in the football sector as we suspect that some people ‘at the top’ are using their positions to influence some referees towards carrying out their dirty jobs in order to witch-hunt teams like ours that have posed as threat to their own sides.” He stated.

An obviously displeased Akinsehiende wondered how, “after losing the last two home matches at home, we lost to Maylantarke  FC 2-1 again on Saturday to a dubious offside goal. This was after we were also denied an obvious penalty kick."

He lambasted the centre referee for the game alongside his assistants and the match commissioner, namely; Shamsu Yushe’u, Mansur Abubakar, Simon Y. Kure, Ezekiel N. Matthew. The match Commissioner for the said game was Lawal Mohammed. All of the officiating officers came from Kaduna.

“How can you bring a referee and match commissioner from Kaduna, involving a Kaduna team?” Akin Akinsehiende wondered. 

He vowed to expose all of the shenanigans and rot happening in the sector. 

He called on former footballers in the country to actively support and contribute towards the development and sustainability of grassroots football as that is one sure way of bringing back, the glory of the country.