NPFL: Plateau United to miss eight players against Abia Warriors

Bendel Insurance and Rangers played out a 1-1 draw in their Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, Matchday 17 encounter in Benin City on Saturday.

Both teams scored in the closing stages of the match.

The hosts went ahead through Promise Anyanwu nine minutes from time.

Chidozie Iwundu equalised for Rangers deep into stoppage time.

Insurance extended their unbeaten run to five matches.

Kennedy Boboye’s side moved up to 14th place on the table.

Rangers remain fourth in the standings.

NPFL: Bendel Insurance, Rangers share spoils in Benin City 

The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has issued a stern warning to match officials across the domestic football scene.

NFF said tougher measures were imminent to curb the surge in controversial decisions across the country’s domestic leagues.

The warning was issued during the NFF Executive Committee meeting held in Abuja.

The federation expressed “deep disappointment” with the performance of referees in the Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, Nigeria National League, NNL, Nigeria Women Football League, NWFL, and Nationwide League One, NLO.

It stated that disciplinary actions, retraining programmes and stricter monitoring would be introduced to restore integrity and professionalism in Nigerian football.

“We are out to fight incompetence, collusion and any manipulation that undermines the credibility of our competitions,” NFF was quoted by Newstap.

“Stronger measures are on the way, and any official found compromising the game will face decisive consequences.”

NFF warns referees of sanctions over poor officiating

Uganda head coach Paul Put has blasted FIFA for shifting player release date for 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, DAILY POST reports.

Clubs were mandated to release players two weeks before the start of previous AFCON tournaments.

FIFA, reportedly due to pressure from European clubs, shifted the release period to just one week before the start of the upcoming competition.

The decision has disrupted the plan of majority of the qualified countries.

Put took aim at the world soccer governing body for the decision.

“We received a message from FIFA that we can only have the players abroad on the 16th or 17th. I had hoped to get them from the 8th. Now we will be with half the team until then,” Put told Uganda Football Federation official website.

“It becomes very difficult to make good preparation but we will deal with it. It is unfortunate but it is like this.”

The Cranes are currently preparing for the AFCON 2025 finals in Casablanca, Morocco.

AFCON 2025: Uganda coach slams FIFA over player release decision