Olukoya Boys will be hoping to get the three maximum points initially awarded to them by the LMC in the Match Day 20 fixture walkover against FC Ifeanyi Ubah in NFF Committee’s final outcome … next week
Following Friday’s verdict by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) disciplinary committee that the Match day 20 fixture between FC Ifeanyi Ubah and Mountain of Fire and Miracles Football Club (MFM FC) would be replayed, after being awarded three points by the League Management Company (LMC), the MFM FC’s Director of Football, Barrister Davidson Adejuwon, has declared that the club was ready to exhaust all measures for justice to prevail.
The Nnewi-based club, which was not satisfied with the LMC’s decision to award the match to MFM FC, appealed to the NFF Disciplinary Committee to be heard, insisting that the game should be replayed. The disciplinary body, which granted the appeal, premised its judgment on “a typographical error in the fixture stating Nnewi as the venue of the match, which may have caused FC Ifeanyi Ubah to erroneously assume that the match venue will be Nnewi instead of Enugu,” stated the NFF committee’s final outcome.
But according to MFM FC, LMC’s decision was in accordance with the universal rules of the game, following a deliberate failure by FC Ifeanyi Ubah to honour the game fixed for the Nnamdi Azikwe Stadium, after they were banished to Enugu due to security breaches and incidences of assault on match officials, at their traditional home ground in Nnewi.
Adejuwon, who spoke on MFM FC’s position through a press statement signed by the club’s Media Officer, Olawale Quadri, stated that, “After receiving the verdict, since the decision of NFF disciplinary committee is without prejudice to the Club’s right of Appeal, the team shall be exercising that right, without delay, even to the highest decision making organ of the beautiful game of Football.
Earlier at a midweek Nigeria National League (NNL) Match day 19 between Vandrezzer FC and Osun United played at the Agege Stadium, some journalists, including The Guardian, had sought the view of the MFM FC’s Director of Football to know MFM FC’s stance, following FC Ifeanyi Ubah’s appeal for the match to be replayed.
“We have all facts to defend ourselves. I can remember calling our rivals a day before the duel, reminding them about the clash on a lighter note. But to my surprise, we found no rival on the pitch till we were dashed the maximum points.
“We returned to our base in Lagos, happy and surprisingly all we see his a letter of protest from our opponent. Till now, no one knows reason behind the boycott. I have the confidence the LMC will stand on their point during the panel hearing,” he stated.