Teams hoping to survive or gain undue advantages this season, perhaps, through the assistance of referees, can be said be on utopianist adventure, if words from the President of the Nigeria Referees Association,NRA, Otunba Tade Azeez, are anything to go by.
Reviewing the journey so far before the break, Otunba Tade Azeez said that one of the key words handed over to referees at the beginning of the season are for them to avoid antics of clubs who think and act in manner that suggests that their loses and survival are dependent on match officials.
The NRA President reminded all that the result of matches is always an outcome of play on the field adding that fair and firm approach to matches must continue to be watchword of NRA members on duty.
He prayed for a successful match and journey mercies to all.
This Sunday’s encounter has a number of retired FIFA referees on duty as Assessors led by a former National Training Officer and the incumbent, retired FIFAs Edo Aduba of Benue and and Olori Jumoke Adebisi-Odeniran respectively.
While Aduba, a teacher by profession will monitor how experienced Ishaya Patrick of Kaduna alongside his squad shall handle the Adamawa vs Kwara Utd encounter, Olori Jumoke an administrator per excellence will be on the stands with his jotter to record the performances of the FIFA trio of Bashiru Salisu of Kano, newly badged Hope Igho of Lagos and one of woman Assistant referees of FIFA in Nigeria, Rivers State based Abibatu Yusuf in the top of the North Central cracker; Lobi Stars vs Nassarawa Utd in Markurdi.
Also, the Sunshine vs Kano Pillars interesting game in Akure has a retired FIFA referee, Robert Aundugh of Benue watching over Yusuf Nta of Niger Council assisted by Gombe’s Auwal Usman and Sunny Atu of Cross River.
In Uyo, where Heartland battles home side, Akwa United, a university don, Prof Segun of the Kogi Council will have Akinsanya Akintunde of Oyo, Fizobe Samson and Musa Isa of FCT and Niger Councils respectively to assess.
The referees appointed for the matches
ABIA WARRI0RS VS WARRI WOLVES
BAWA UMAR ZM Assessor
SALIHU TATABU NG Referee
ALIYU MADUGU KD Assistant Referee 1
DONALD ANDREW BA Assistant Referee 2
AJADI ODUNAYO OY Fourth Official
ADO GARBA ZM Match Commissioner
KATSINA UTD VS FC IFEANYUBAH
OLUWA MOROF FCT Assessor
OLABIYI YOMI LG
OSUMAH AJIBOYE ED
MNZULUGH PHILIP BN
ABBA ABUBAKAR BA
ABUBAKAR LARSON TR Mc
AKWA UTD VS HEARTLAND FC
PRO SEGUN KG Assessor
AKINSANYA AKINTUNDE OY
YAHAYA IKARA KD
FIZOBE SAMSON FCT
MUSA ISA NG
OLUWASANMI JAMES OD Mc
SUNHINE STARS VS KANO PILLARS
ROBERT A Assessor BN
YUSUF NTA NG
AWAL USMAN GM
SUNNY ATU CR
NDIDI MADU EN
AWUGOSI R O AN Mc
ADAMAWA UTD VS KWARA UTD
ADOBA E BN Assessor
PATRICK ISHAYA KD
AKINFEMISOYE TOLULOPE OD
ANAEKWE ARINZE IM
AUSTIN ONYIKA AK
ANTHONY AFORDUM KB Mc
MFM FC VS PLATEAU UTD
DANLITY KD Assessor
SAMUEL AGBA CR
AHMAD TIJJANI KT
KINGSLEY ANYANWU IM
NDIBUISI UKAH IM
OGBU AUGUSTINE EB Mc
RIVERS UTD VS WIKKI TOURIST
PROMISE N FCT
HANNAH ELIAGWU FCT
KABIRU HARUNA ZM
CLETUS ADEWEBI LG
EZEOGU OKECHUKWU EN
UGWU FRANCIS EN Mc
DAKKADA VS JIGAWA G STARS
MAJIDADI IBRAHIM GM Assessor
THOMAS NWHITE AB
ISA SANI TR
HULDA NWAOCHA FCT
FOLUSHO AJAYI OY
LARRY GOWON PL MC
LOBI STARS VS NASARAWA UTD FC
ADEBISI S OY Assessor
BASHIR SALISU KN
HOPE IGHO LG
ABIBAT YUSUF RV
NURA ABUBAKAR BA
SULEIMAN CHINDO BA Mc
