Doma United Fined and Banned from Home Matches

The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has hit Doma United with a fine of ₦5.25 million. The club must also play their next three home matches without any fans. This follows problems related to security and fan misconduct during their 1-1 draw against Kun Khalifat FC.

These actions came after the league looked into what happened during the Matchday Nine game at Pantami Stadium in Gombe on Saturday, 17 October.

In a notice released on Monday, the NPFL stated that Doma United did not provide enough security. This allowed unauthorized people to enter areas that were supposed to be off-limits.

The league also noted that Doma United's fans acted aggressively towards match officials and the visiting team's officials. There was also an incident of serious misconduct towards an away team official after the match.

Doma United, known as the Savannah Tigers, was fined ₦3 million for not providing proper security during their home games. They also got an extra ₦1 million for the aggressive behavior towards match officials and another ₦1 million for the misconduct involving the away team official.

Additionally, the club faces a fine of ₦250,000 to cover medical treatment for Kun Khalifat head coach Obinna Uzoho. He got injured during the incident.

With these fines, Doma United now has to pay a total of ₦5.25 million. They also cannot have any fans at their next three home matches.

The disciplinary measures also affect the match commissioner. The NPFL has suggested that this official be moved down to a lower league for not doing their job properly. This includes not supervising the match well and failing to report incidents accurately.

The league expects match officials and commissioners to supervise games properly and report any issues that happen.

Doma United has been advised to improve their security and teach their supporters about acceptable behavior. The NPFL warned that more serious penalties could follow if the club has further issues.

The club has 48 hours from the notice date to appeal against these sanctions.

These actions come at a time when there are ongoing worries about security and the safety of players, coaches, and match officials during domestic football matches.

By banning fans from three home matches and imposing fines, the NPFL is making it clear that clubs must keep order at their stadiums and ensure the safety of visiting teams and officials.

The penalties against Doma United are part of a series of disciplinary actions taken by the NPFL this season for misconduct and rule violations.

It is still unclear if Doma United will challenge the decision within the time allowed.