By Victor Enyinnaya on April 13, 2016

The CAF Champions League crucial second leg clash between Nigeria’s Enyimba International and Tunisia’s Etoile du Sahel will be handled by Moroccan referees: Nouriddine El Jaafari at the centre to be assisted by Aiicham Ait Abbou and Youssef Mabrouk.

This choice, according to the National Chairman of Nigeria Football Supporters Club, Prince Vincent Okumagba, must be protested to CAF by the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) as the umpires may be biased, having come from the same North African region with Enyimba’s opponents.

He called on the leadership of the NFF to, without any further delay, draw the attention of CAF authorities to this anomaly, saying that natural justice demands equality and African football should grow past this nonsense. CAF, he remarked, must encourage the development of the game at all levels, appointing match officials inclusive.

 “For impartiality sake, referees from North or West Africa should be exempted from officiating this crucial return leg encounter to avoid prejudice. Enyimba has the potential to even beat their host right in front of their teeming fans and the only way to ensure none of the teams would have undue advantage would be for a natural  match official be in charge. NFF must wake up now and rally round our only representative in this year’s CAF Champions League,” Okumagba said.  

Continuing, he said: “I think NFF should urgently protest officially. For a game against a North African opposition, it is not reasonable to have North African match officials. The rationale behind appointing Moroccan referees to handle the game against Enyimba, a West African side, is absurd. CAF must reverse it. NFF must put intensive pressure on CAF. Enyimba represents the country; as such they are no longer the property of Abia State. That is why I am passionately making this appeal to NFF. We must not turn our eyes the other way as if nothing is happening. We have suffered in hands of CAF and match officials for long.”

Daily Sports recalls that Enyimba won 3-0 in the first leg.

•Photo shows Prince Vincent Okumagba.

Source Daily Sports

Posted April 13, 2016

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