Clubs To Pay N1m For Failure To Honour Matches In Federation Cup
Clubs To Pay N1m For Failure To Honour Matches In Federation Cup
NFF's Director of Competitions, Ruth David, clarified this in a statement released on Monday. In her remarks, she also revealed that the State preliminaries for the country’s oldest football tournament are scheduled to occur from 22nd March to 26th April.
The State preliminaries will commence on Sunday, March 22nd. Any club that does not participate in any match after completing the registration for the State-level competition will incur a penalty of N500,000.
The Finals of the State competition are required to be held either on Saturday 25th April or Sunday 26th April. Each Football Association in the States and the FCT will need to present its two representatives for the National competition on one of these two dates.
DECISIONS MADE BY THE NIGERIA FOOTBALL FEDERATION (NFF) DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE DURING THE MEETING ON 3RD MARCH 2026 REGARDING THE PROTEST FROM GOMBE UNITED FC AGAINST THE NIGERIA NATIONAL LEAGUE (NNL) RULING ON THE MATCH BETWEEN GOMBE UNITED FC, GOMBE, AND JIGAWA GOLDEN STARS FC, JIGAWA, ON 21ST DECEMBER 2025 AT PANTAMI STADIUM, GOMBE
FINDINGS:
1. The Committee determined that at the 90 + 4-minute mark, the Centre Referee awarded a goal kick.
2. The Committee concluded that following the Centre Referee's decision, fans of the home team (Gombe United FC) invaded the field, compelling the Centre Referee to change the call to a penalty kick, violating Rule 16 (1) of the Nigeria National League (NNL) Guidelines.
3. The Committee observed that the Centre Referee produced two contradictory and irreconcilable reports.
4. There is no proof to support the claim of pressure against the Centre Referee.
5. The players of Jigawa Golden Stars FC refused to carry on with the match in protest against the Centre Referee's penalty kick decision.
DECISION
In light of these findings, the Committee declares as follows;
1. Gombe United FC is found liable for encroachment and is fined One Million Naira (N1,000,000) only.
2. Terwase Chia (Centre Referee) is suspended for the remainder of the season due to professional misconduct that tarnishes the sport's reputation.
3. Jigawa Golden Stars FC faces a fine of Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500,000) only for their refusal to continue the match.
4. The match is officially deemed conclusive, with the final result recorded as 0:0 for both teams.
5. The aforementioned decisions remain open to appeal.
In attendance: Barr. Jude Obikwelu (Chairman), Barr. A.I. Abdulrahman (Vice Chairman), Barr. Bello Galadi (Member), Barr. Wole Ademoyegun, and Queen W. Otarakpo, Esq. (Secretary)
DECISIONS OF THE MEETING OF THE NIGERIA FOOTBALL FEDERATION (NFF) DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE HELD ON 3RD MARCH, 2026 ON THE PROTEST LODGED BY WIKKI TOURIST FC AGAINST THE DECISION OF THE NIGERIA PREMIER FOOTBALL LEAGUE (NPFL) ON THE MATCH PLAYED BETWEEN WIKKI TOURIST FC, BAUCHI AND KATSINA UNITED FC, KATSINA, ON 8TH FEBRUARY, 2026 AT ABUBAKAR TAFAWA BALEWA STADIUM, BAUCHI
FINDINGS:
1. The Committee determined that Wikki Tourist FC did not ensure proper security, noting that unauthorized individuals accessed restricted sections after the first half.
2. It was established by the Committee that supporters of Wikki Tourist FC hurled hazardous items, including stones, onto the playing field.
3. The Center Referee reported to the Committee that although a stone struck him, he did not suffer any injuries.
4. The Committee found no evidence to support claims of injuries sustained by any match officials or officials from the visiting team.
5. The Committee concluded that the behavior of Wikki Tourist FC’s supporters was likely to tarnish the reputation of the sport.
DECISIONS:
In light of the findings mentioned above, the Committee rules as follows:
1. The Committee endorses Sanction No.1 from the Summary Jurisdiction (Form 16) and imposes a monetary penalty of Two Million Naira (N2,000,000) on Wikki Tourist FC due to inadequate security measures.
2. The Committee rejects the ruling in Sanction No.2 of the Summary Jurisdiction (Form 16) and consequently nullifies it due to lack of evidence.
3. The Committee upholds Sanction No.3 from the Summary Jurisdiction (Form 16) and imposes a penalty of One Million Naira (N1,000,000) on Wikki Tourist FC for unsportsmanlike conduct posing a risk to the sport's integrity.
4. The Committee supports Sanction No.4 from the Summary Jurisdiction (Form 16) and imposes a fine of One Million Naira (N1,000,000) against Wikki Tourist FC for throwing dangerous items onto the field.
5. The Committee does not agree with the ruling found in Sanction No.5 from the Summary Jurisdiction Notice form 16, and therefore, it is overturned.
6. An order mandates that all of Wikki Tourist FC's remaining home matches for the 2025/2026 season be relocated to Jos, with the ban being reduced to Five (5) consecutive matches effective from the date of the ruling.
7. The aforementioned rulings do not affect the right to appeal.
In attendance: Barr. Jude Obikwelu (Chairman), Barr. A.I. Abdulrahman (Vice chairman), Barr. Bello Galadi (Member), Barr. Wole Ademoyegun and Queen W. Otarakpo, Esq. (Secretary)
DECISIONS OF THE MEETING OF THE NIGERIA FOOTBALL FEDERATION (NFF) DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE HELD ON 3RD MARCH, 2026 ON THE PROTEST LODGED BY KWARA UNITED FC AGAINST THE DECISION OF THE NIGERIA PREMIER FOOTBALL LEAGUE (NPFL) ON THE MATCH PLAYED BETWEEN KWARA UNITED FC, ILORIN AND RIVERS UNITED FC, PORT-HARCOURT, ON 18TH FEBRUARY, 2026 AT RASHIDI YEKINI MAIN BOWL STADIUM, ILORIN
