Official correspondence, petitions, league statements and interviews obtained by PREMIUM TIMES show a growing disagreement between Yewa Football Academy and the Nationwide League One over what exactly happened on the pitch and how the league should respond
The controversy surrounding the abandoned Nationwide League One playoff between Yewa FC Academy and FC Ebedei has evolved into one of the biggest governance disputes in Nigerian grassroots football this season.
What began as a serious injury to a goalkeeper during a playoff match in Akure has now raised wider questions about consistency in the application of league regulations, the treatment of match officials, the handling of confidential reports and the interpretation of the NLO’s own disciplinary rules.
Official correspondence, petitions, league statements and interviews obtained by PREMIUM TIMES show a growing disagreement between Yewa FC Academy and the Nationwide League One over what exactly happened on the pitch and how the league should respond.
The playoff match between Yewa FC Academy and FC Ebedei was halted after Yewa goalkeeper Olalere Ridwan suffered a serious injury following a collision late in the first half.
Yewa chairman Mojeed Ibrahim has consistently maintained that the injury itself did not lead to the abandonment of the fixture.
According to the club’s petition to the NLO, FC Ebedei players left the field while medical attention was being administered to the goalkeeper and did so without any directive from the referee or match commissioner. The club stated that the match officials, as well as Yewa players, remained on the field after the opposing team had departed.
“A football match cannot end because one side decides it is over,” Mr Ibrahim told PREMIUM TIMES.
The Yewa chairman argued that the club had already received approval for a replacement goalkeeper and was prepared to continue the fixture.
The dispute centres largely on Rule 4.12 of the NLO regulations, which provides that where a team causes a disruption beyond the stipulated period, the offending side should forfeit the match by three points and three goals. Yewa cited the rule in both its initial petition and subsequent correspondence to the league.
The club also pointed to what it described as a recent precedent involving Jaguar FC and Abakaliki Feeders, arguing that the league had previously applied similar sanctions following a disrupted match.
The club warned that a different interpretation in its own case could undermine confidence in the league’s regulatory framework.
However, the NLO has defended its actions by raising concerns about the integrity of the match reports and the conduct of match officials.
In an official statement, the league announced that centre referee Adanlawo Ayomide and match commissioner Mohammed Lateef had been queried over alleged breaches of confidentiality and the unauthorised disclosure of official match documents.
The league said it became concerned after receiving correspondence from Yewa chairman Mojeed Ibrahim which it believed referenced the contents of the official reports.
According to the NLO, match reports are confidential documents intended solely for the Secretariat to ensure impartial adjudication.
The league said any unauthorised disclosure of such reports constituted a serious breach of its code of conduct and sports ethics.
The NLO subsequently demanded explanations from both officials regarding how confidential documents allegedly reached a club official.
The Secretariat stated that failure to provide satisfactory explanations could result in suspension and referral to both the NFF Referees Committee and the NLO disciplinary structures.
“The league’s credibility depends on the professionalism and discretion of its officials. This breach is being taken very seriously,” the league said.
The controversy deepened further when the NLO suspended the rescheduled continuation of the match.
In another official communication, the Secretariat said its administrative review of the match officials’ reports had uncovered “critical discrepancies and compromises” surrounding the handling and reporting of the fixture.
The league said the reports and other evidence had been forwarded to the NLO Integrity Unit and the NFF Disciplinary Committee for what it described as a comprehensive forensic investigation.
The NLO also ordered the appointment of a fresh set of referees to handle the remaining minutes of the match.
According to the league, the postponement became necessary to enable the Secretariat “cleanse the mess.”
Yewa has strongly rejected allegations that it obtained confidential documents.
In his response to the NLO query, Mr Ibrahim stated that neither he nor the club had accessed or received any official match reports.
He argued that references made in previous correspondence merely reflected conclusions drawn from events that occurred openly on the field.
“That statement was not, and should not be construed as, an admission of access to any confidential documentation,” he wrote.
He further challenged the NLO to provide evidence supporting its allegations.
The dispute became even more complicated after the NLO opened another investigation involving Yewa over the alleged use of an ineligible player.
