NLO faces backlash over decision on abandoned football match

The Nationwide League One (NLO) is under fire for deciding that a match should be completed. This came after one team allegedly walked off the pitch against league rules. The decision follows a heated playoff on Saturday between Yewa Football Academy (Yewa FA) and FC Ebedei at the Akure Township Stadium. The match was stopped after a bad collision left Yewa's goalkeeper, Olalere Ridwan, unconscious.

The NLO called the situation a case of force majeure. They ordered the match to finish at a neutral venue in Lagos on Tuesday. But Yewa FA argues this decision rewards a team that left the field without permission. In a letter dated June 27 and signed by the NLO's Chief Operating Officer, Olushola Ogunnowo, the league said the match would pick up from where it stopped, keeping the same score and officials.

The league expressed sympathy for the injured players and noted that the game was halted due to the unfortunate incident needing urgent medical care. "The remaining minutes of the match shall be completed to determine a definitive winner of the play-off," the letter stated.

Yewa FA disagrees with this decision. They claim the match was not abandoned due to the injury but because FC Ebedei chose to leave the game without any order from the referee or match commissioner. Yewa FA's version of events has been supported by match reports from the officials involved, including the match commissioner and referees.

‘They walked away’

In a petition to the NLO, Yewa FA Chairman Mojeed Ibrahim described the collision happening around the 40th minute. This was when Yewa's goalkeeper and FC Ebedei's striker, Kehinde Abdulquadri, went for the ball. The goalkeeper lost consciousness and was treated before being taken to the hospital.

Ibrahim stated that while medical staff were still with the player, FC Ebedei's owner, Churchill Oliseh, allegedly told his players to leave the field. He insisted that neither the referee nor the match commissioner called for the game to be abandoned. "Not only did FC Ebedei players leave the field of play, they exited the stadium entirely while the referees, match officials and Yewa Football Academy players remained on the pitch ready to continue the match upon conclusion of the medical situation," the petition said.

Yewa FA added that their backup goalkeeper had been approved to replace the injured player and that they were ready to continue the match.

Rule allegedly ignored

Yewa FA's protest centers on Rule 4.12(4) of the NLO Rules and Regulations. They claim this rule states that a team should forfeit if they disrupt a match for over five minutes. The club argues that the rule means the offending team should lose by three goals and three points, or by the current score if it is higher, when their actions cause a disruption.

Yewa FA believes FC Ebedei's choice to leave without permission falls under this rule and should lead to forfeiture instead of a replay. They pointed to a recent situation with Jaguar FC and Abakaliki Feeders, where the league gave three points and three goals to the non-offending team after a similar disruption.

Yewa FA argues that not applying the same standard in their case harms trust in the league’s fairness.

‘Not force majeure’

In another letter, Yewa FA rejected the NLO's description of the incident as a force majeure event. They argued that while the goalkeeper's injury was unfortunate, it did not make the match impossible to continue. They insisted the real issue was FC Ebedei's choice to leave the field and the stadium.

"It is therefore incorrect to classify this situation as force majeure," the club wrote.

Questions over league integrity

This situation has raised bigger questions about how football rules are enforced. Normally, only the referee can stop a match. Teams are expected to keep playing unless told to stop by officials. If a team refuses to play or leaves without permission, they often face penalties like forfeiture or fines.

Critics say that by allowing the match to resume without checking if FC Ebedei broke the rules, the NLO might be setting a bad example. This could lead to teams abandoning matches without consequences. As of now, FC Ebedei has not publicly responded to Yewa FA's claims or the protest against the NLO's decision. The postponed match is set for Tuesday at the Maracana Stadium, Ajegunle, Lagos, unless the league changes its decision before kick-off. But it’s not clear if Yewa FA will show up to continue the match after protesting the NLO's ruling.