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THE NPFL 2024/2025 AND OFFICIATING- VAR Technology To Elevate Officiating in the Local Leagues
The Nigerian Premier Football League is in its second week with very interesting games already played across various venues in the country.
There’s no doubt the Honorable Gbenga Elegbeleye led NPFL board has scored some very interesting points that are still giving birth to the new face of the NPFL.
The NPFL this season has seen some star coaches take on jobs with clubs, and this is a big score card that shows this league is truly being reset by this NPFL leadership.
Emmanuel Amunike, Ladan Bosso, Imama Amapakabo, and who knows if Samson Siasia will soon be on the NPFL coaches list. This is given credibility to this league that was fast sinking just some years ago.
Officiating has been a key requisite for testing and evaluating leagues globally. Will the NPFL and its management do even better in this aspect this new season?
The NFF promised to deliver VAR technology to the NPFL soon. Some leagues in Africa that were known to be smaller have gone ahead to reshapen their refereing with the Video Assistant Referee, and we expect soonest in the NPFL.
The first week saw matches played in the NPFL without clubs complaining. Last week wasn’t the same story. Akwa United hosted Abia Warriors and Imama Amapakabo voiced out bitterly and believes officiating wasn’t fair in that game. Similarly, we heard some unclear officiating occurred with the Shooting Stars and Plateau United game.
Many stakeholders believe VAR will be a game changer in so many ways that match officials conduct themselves in the NPFL. As we await VAR technology, we are closely watching how the NPFL and the NFF will continue to take charge of officiating in the NPFL and other leagues under their umbrella.
The Chief Operating Officer of the NPFL (COO) has maintained that “improving officiating in NPFL is work in progress.” The chairperson of the Nigeria Football Federation’s Referees Development Committee, Faith Irabor, also promised improved officiating at the 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) not long ago.
The race for the championship for the 2024/2025 season has started, and we continue to watch closely from near and afar!
Galaxy Sports Media production
