BY SUNDAY AKINTOYE
Chairman of Ikeja Divisional Football Association (IDFA), Evangelist Taiwo Alagbe and match officials were seriously attacked during a game between Tops Academy and Shuffle Select Football Academy in the ongoing Ikeja DFA Super League.
The ugly incident occurred recently when Tops Academy welcomed Shuffle Select in the ongoing Ikeja Divisional Football Super League at the Rehabilitation sports centre, Isheri-Oke, Ojodu Berger, Lagos.
In a statement issued by the division and signed by Alaba Olaniyi, mayhem started in the 80th minute of the encounter when the home team were losing 0-1 to the away team.
The home team’s fans began to throw sharp objects on the field of play to force the referee to stop the game.
The home fans finally encroached the field of play, harassed the match officials and physically molested the away team and their officials.
The chairman Ikeja Divisional Football Association, Alhaji Rafiu Alagbe who watched the encounter was abused, molested and attacked by the home team’s fans. It took the intervention of some officials to stop the violence.
The statement also stated that a player from Tops Academy identified as Olanrewaju Sodiq left the field to join the fans to attack, molest and abused Alhaji Alagbe.
After normalcy was restored, the game continued. The referee who had been under pressure had to award an underserved penalty to the home team in order to save the life of Alagbe and other officials in attendance.
The disciplinary committee of Ikeja DFA after thorough deliberations of the ugly incident, decided to suspend Tops Academy from further participation in the league and any other competition from Ikeja DFA in the next six months.
Also Tops Academy head coach, Ajayi Olugbenga, was also suspended from the league for failing to control his players and fans during the game. He was fined the sum of N50,000.
Tops Academy player identified as Sodiq is banned from football related activities in the division indefinitely and fined the sum of N20,000 for unruly behaviour during the match.
Also, the venue in question, Rehabilitation Sports Centre, Isheri-Oke, Ojodu is banned from further hosting Ikeja DFA matches, while all the clubs using the venue as their home ground are to find another location for their matches with immediate effect.
According to the statement, the decisions of the disciplinary committee panel shall be communicated to the Lagos State Football Association LSFA, Lagos State Sports Commission, Divisional Police Officer Area G, Ikeja Football Coaches Council, Ikeja Football Referees Society and other relevant football stakeholders for further sanctions if necessary.
Alagbe in a chat with our correspondent said it was unfortunately that despite the series of seminars and workshops organised for the participants, Tops Academy and coaching crew could go extra length to break the rules and regulations.The punishment meted to the club would serve as deterrent to others that are planning to do so.
“Truly i was harrassed, attacked and molested along with other match officials by these so called Tops Academy fans just because their team were losing at home. Our punishment stands and unchanged.At this moment we are planning to take it up to the Lagos Football Association and other football stakeholders for further punishments,” he concluded.
