NFF suspends referee for cancelling Doma United goal

The Nigeria Football Federation has suspended assistant referee Yakubu Aliyu indefinitely. This decision came after he did not follow offside guidelines and the wait-and-see rule. His actions led to the cancellation of a valid Doma United goal against Enyimba in their Nigeria Premier Football League Matchday 3 game, according to The PUNCH.

Aliyu, who is based in Jigawa, was the Assistant Referee 1 for that match. He has now been removed from the league and all other refereeing duties.

A letter signed by Mohammed Ameenu, Secretary of the NFF Refereeing Development Committee, explained that Aliyu's mistake was serious enough to justify his indefinite suspension.

The letter said the assistant referee “failed to observe offside situational guidelines and the wait-and-see protocol.” This mistake caused the cancellation of what the committee called a “validly scored goal.”

The committee also mentioned that Aliyu’s decision influenced the scoreline and outcome of the match, damaging the reputation of refereeing and the game in Nigeria.

“In light of this, the Refereeing Development Committee resolved that you should be stepped down and thus delisted from the 2026/2027 list of NPFL Referees and Assistant Referees,” the letter said.

This sanction came after the controversial call during Doma United’s 2-0 win over Enyimba. This victory kept the newly promoted side's perfect start to the 2026/27 NPFL season.

Sadiq Rilwan scored first for Doma United just after the half-hour mark. Then, Yusuf Fantami added another goal with 20 minutes left, helping the Savannah Tigers secure their second straight home win.

Doma United now has nine points from their first three matches. On the other hand, Enyimba has faced two defeats, having also lost to Niger Tornadoes on the opening day.

Aliyu’s suspension is the latest action taken against referees in the NPFL. This shows the NFF's commitment to penalizing match officials for decisions that break the rules of refereeing.