Rivers State Commissioner for Sports activities and Chairman of the Rivers State Soccer Affiliation, Chris Inexperienced, has condemned the violent scenes that adopted a Nigeria Skilled Soccer League (NPFL) match involving Kwara United and Rivers United, warning that the league dangers sliding again to its troubled previous.
Talking after the 1–1 draw, Inexperienced described the incident as unacceptable, revealing that Rivers United’s Basic Supervisor, Okey Kpalukwu, was crushed and injured by irate followers after the house facet conceded a late equaliser.
“What we witnessed may be very unlucky and unacceptable,” Inexperienced stated. “The NPFL seems to be going again to its darkish days if such acts are allowed to proceed. Our Basic Supervisor was assaulted by followers who took the regulation into their very own fingers, and that ought to by no means occur in soccer.”
Inexperienced harassed that hooliganism has no place in Nigerian soccer and known as on league organisers to behave decisively to guard gamers, officers and directors.
“Soccer ought to unite folks, not expose them to hazard,” he added. “Justice should be served, and agency motion taken to make sure incidents like this are utterly stamped out of our league.”
His feedback come amid renewed requires stricter enforcement of safety requirements throughout NPFL venues, as stakeholders push to safeguard the credibility and professionalism of Nigeria’s top-flight soccer.
