NFF wants Match Commissioners to enhance capacity
The Nigeria Football Federation has called on match
commissioners of the elite division of the domestic
game to improve their capacity and delivery in order to
help attract corporate interest and support.
NFF President Amaju Pinnick made this point in
Abuja on Tuesday at the opening ceremony of a three
–day seminar for match commissioners of the Nigeria
Professional Football League, Nigeria National League,
Nigeria Women Football League and Nigeria
Nationwide League One.
Speaking on Pinnick’s behalf, NFF 2nd Vice President/
LMC Chairman Shehu Dikko, who is also member of
the CAF Inter-Clubs and Club Licensing Committee and
member of the FIFA Football Stakeholders Committee,
announced that the days of match commissioners in
football could be numbered “if you do not up your
game.”
He said: “These days, even at higher levels, match
coordinators are gaining in relevance and their reports
are being taken more serious. It is left for match
commissioners to up their game, improve their
capacity and regain their high relevance.
“You must enhance yourself in every way possible, so
that your reports can become more robust and
engaging, and guide administrators to take the right
decisions. You have been doing a lot of work but you
need to move at a faster pace now.”
Chairman of the NFF Match Commissioners
Appointment Committee, Alhaji Babagana Kalli, in his
speech, commended the participants for service to
Nigerian Football, while warning that the Federation’s
eagle eyes would become much sharper to fish out
match officials who are in the habit of delegating
functions.
“It is important that we not only maintain the standards
of previous years, but also improve on them. This is
the reason why we have put together a panel of
experts in their different fields of professional
endeavour to shed light on different aspects of match
commissioning in order for us to further improve our
acts for the upliftment of the Nigerian game.
“Professor Musa Garba Yakassai will be talking to us
about Match Commissioning , while Mr. Ayobola
Oyeyode, the NFF Director of Competitions, will speak
on Match Coordination and Match Organization . Mr.
Mohammed Aminu will speak on Online Match
Reporting . I believe that you will learn a lot from these
erudite and experienced personalities.”
NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, called
on match commissioners to eschew indolence, focus
on the assignment at hand and add value to general
match organization and actual delivery.
Also at the opening ceremony were NFF Executive
Committee members Yusuf Fresh, Sharif Inuwa, Musa
Duhu and Mohammed Alkali, NFF Congress members
Sabo Abdullahi Dutse (Chairman, Jigawa FA), Timothy
Henman (Chairman, Taraba FA), Isa Umar (Chairman,
Kogi FA) and Dahiru Sadi (President, Players’ Union),
NFF Technical Director Bitrus Bewarang, LMC COO
Salihu Abubakar, Wikki Tourists FC chairman Auwalu
Babajada and other members of the Match
Commissioners Appointment Committee: Ahmad
Kawu, Faith Irabor, Prince Mbaezue, Manzo
Mohammed, Dele Ogungbemi, Emmanuel Ochiagha,
Yabagi Baba, Bala Yaro, Dahiru Yakassai, Gabriel
Adetule, Aminu Shantali and Danlami Alanana
(secretary).