Former Super Eagles captain and Kano Pillars winger, Ahmed Musa, has berated the quality of refereeing at the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), noting that addressing this issue was the panacea to improving the league.
Ahmed Musa spoke against the backdrop of Pillars 1-0 loss to Nasarawa United, a match the referee was heavily criticized.
Musa, while expressing his disappointment, emphasised that these officiating lapses demoralise players and impact the league’s credibility.
Recall that the Nigeria’s all-time FIFA World Cup top scorer recently returned to his boyhood club, Kano Pillars, along with Shehu Abdullahi, hoping to contribute to Nigerian football at a domestic level. Their return has inspired other Super Eagles players to consider finishing their careers in the NPF. However, Musa now questions his decision due to the questionable officiating.
“I’ve been praising the officiating and the progress in the league up until now, but the performance of the officials in this matchday 9 game makes me wonder if coming back to play in the NPFL was the right choice,” Musa remarked.
To ensure the growth of the league, Musa believed it is critical to overhaul the officiating standards, stating, “For the league to improve, we need to address the quality of officiating. Officials must not be allowed to diminish the players’ morale and effort.”
He further added that if officiating remains poor, he would struggle to recommend the league to his fellow Super Eagles teammates.
“If I keep witnessing such officiating, I cannot encourage anyone to return to the NPFL. It would be a waste of our efforts if this continues.”
Musa also urged the NPFL management to take disciplinary action against officials who sabotage the league’s progress, saying that enforcing accountability would deter others from similar conduct.
On his decision to play in the NPFL over international offers, the former Leicester City and CSKA Moscow forward explained, “I wanted to help elevate the NPFL to European standards. But with officiating like what I saw in Lafia, it doesn’t reflect a serious league.”
Musa openly criticised the officiating in the game, labeling the officials as “morale killers” for their handling of Sunday’s encounter at the Lafia City Stadium.
The officiating team, led by center referee, Dahiru Muhammed Kawo, and assistant referee Abdulmajid Sani Potiskum from Adamawa and Gombe states, respectively, reportedly made several alleged avoidable errors. These included allowing a controversial goal by Nasarawa United, where two players, including the goalscorer, appeared to be in offside positions, and failing to ensure a consistent flow to the game.
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