NFF hammer falls on Dolphins

NFF hammer falls on Dolphins
Edwin Akwueh, Abuja

Champions and runners up of the 2010/2011 premier league season, Dolphins and Sunshine stars have been fined by the Nigeria Football Federation for their alleged involvement in a match fixing scandal.

At the end of its meeting on Wednesday night, the organising and disciplinary committee of the federation announced that Sunshine stars of Akure in Western Nigeria will pay a fine of twenty million naira while eventual league winners Dolphins were fined ten million naira for their respective roles in the saga.

Chairman of the committee, Leye Adepoju who announced the decision reached at the end of the meeting said Dolphins’ fine was due to their alleged collaboration in the match fixing, while the fine on Sunshine stars was as a result of their alleged direct involvement in the episode which has brought the outcome the previous season into disrepute.

Apart from the clubs, other match officials and club representatives were also penalised for what was described as their roles in the match fixing.

Manager of Dolphins FC, Stanley Eguma was suspended from all football activities in the country for the period of five years while  the president of Nigeria referees association (NRA) Ahmed Maude received the same fine ‘’because he lacks the moral authority to remain in office as head of the referees association’’ in the wake of the scandal.

Referee Chrysanthus Okoro and his assistant Chukwuma Durruma as well as Divine Benjamin of the Ondo state sports council, the parent body of sunshine stars were also suspended from football activities for five years.

Voice of Nigeria understands that an informal meeting was held by Divine Benjamin and the two referees in a private car prior to a league game scheduled for September 1, 2011 involving Lobi stars and sunshine stars football clubs.   

Wednesday’s ruling followed a petition by manager of Lobi stars FC of Markurdi, Domnic Iorfa who accused Dolphins and Sunshine stars of match fixing following the unofficial meeting of two referees and a sports council official representing Sunshine stars. Domnic Iorfa of Lobi stars and Mike Idoko of sunshine stars were also cautioned by the NFF.

All the clubs and individuals fined by this committee’s ruling have forty eight hours from the time of receiving the judgement to make any appeal.

Ugo