New Nigerian Premier Football League champions, Enugu Rangers and Enyimba will learn their fate on Friday when the Nigerian Football Federation’s Disciplinary Committee decides on the ugly incident that marred the Oriental derby clash involving both teams at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium last Sunday.
The NPFL had given Enyimba 48 hours to either submit to the summary jurisdiction and the prescribed sanctions or elect to be dealt with by a disciplinary panel.
“A decision on the Enugu Rangers and Enyimba will be made in a meeting billed for Friday, to conclude the matter,” a top NPFL source revealed.
Chaos erupted with just a few seconds to the end of the game after referee John Ojeleye awarded a penalty to hosts, Rangers following a disputed foul on striker Godwin Obaje inside the Enyimba box.
Enyimba players protested the decision, confronting the assistant referee and walking off the pitch just as the fans turned the game into a free-for-all.
Their conduct during the game was greeted by a series of hefty sanctions from the Nigeria Premier Football League after the league body outlined multiple breaches of its rules committed by nine-time NPFL chmpions during the ill-fated encounter in a letter to Enyimba, dated June 10.
Notably, Enyimba was found in violation of Rule C9, having failed to ensure the proper conduct of its players, officials, and supporters. The club was also cited for breaching Rule B6.23, disrupting the transmission of a live broadcast.
Consequently, the NPFL imposed further a fine of N10m on the Aba-based side after match abandonment – a decision which Enyimba has since appealed according to the media officer of the club, David Orji.
“We have appealed against the decisions and sanctions meted out to Enyimba and we await their verdict,” Orji said in a TV interview monitored by our correspondent.
The People’s Elephant are currently third in the NPFL standings with 60 points from 37 games and will need to beat Plateau United in their final game to secure one of the two CAF Confederation spots for next season.
