The League Management Company has suspended the match commissioner for the Nigeria Professional League matchday 23 encounter between Nasarawa United and Katsina United, which was played last weekend at the Lafia Township Stadium , where the home team defender Chineme Martins slumped and died.
The match commissioner, Christain Mbah from the Enugu State Football Association was suspended as a result of his failure to implement the medical and safety protocols contained in the league rules.
The league body also suspended league matches at the Lafia stadium “until medical requirements and measures stipulated in the League Rules are fully complied with.”
Martins died after slumping in the first half of the match, which ended 3-0 in favour of the home side.
The defender was not given adequate medical attention while he was unconscious on the field, while the ambulance that was to take him to the hospital failed to start.
He was eventually rushed to the hospital in one of the vehicles on the convoy of the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, who was in the stadium to watch the match.
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“The LMC also wrote to the Nigeria Football Federation, requesting that the Match Commissioner in the said fixture Christian Mbah from Enugu State Football Association, be withdrawn permanently from further participation in NPFL matches, for failure to perform his statutorily duty to ensure all requirements including medical personnel and equipments are in place before allowing the match to go ahead and for also failing to submit his match report within the stipulated time frame despite the aggravated incident from the match.
“The NFF in another letter by the LMC, was also requested to trim the number of those selected as Match Commissioners in NPFL matches and retain only those who have demonstrated high level of competence in enforcing provisions of the NFF Club Licensing Requirements. This is in line with un-going review of strategies to improve existing medical protocols and general security at NPFL Match venues.
“Other Match Commissioners were reminded that they must on no account start a match where the full compliments of medics are not available at the venue.”
Nasarawa United were also fined N5m to be paid within 10 working days and another fine of N1m for conduct capable of bringing the league to disrepute, while they were also handed suspended order of six points deduction/forfeiture which will be activated should a similar breach occur before the end of the 2020/2021 season.
