Kano Pillars forward Ahmed Musa has strongly criticised Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) match officials, calling them “moral killers” after their handling of Sunday’s Matchday 9 fixture between Nasarawa United and Kano Pillars at the Lafia City Stadium.
The former Leicester City star took particular issue with centre referee Dahiru Muhammed Kawo and assistant referee Abdulmajid Sani Potiskum for allowing a disputed goal, where two Nasarawa United players, including the scorer, appeared to be in offside positions.
“I’ve been praising the officiating and the progress in the league up until now, but the performance of the officials in this Matchday 9 game makes me wonder if coming back to play in the NPFL was the right choice,” Musa remarked.
Musa, Nigeria’s all-time FIFA World Cup top scorer, recently returned to his boyhood club, Kano Pillars, alongside fellow Super Eagles player Shehu Abdullahi. The forward warned that poor officiating might discourage other national players from finishing their careers in Nigeria’s top division.
Kano Pillars forward Ahmed Musa against Akwa United in the NPFL (Image credit: Getty Images)
“If I keep witnessing such officiating, I cannot encourage anyone to return to the NPFL. It would be a waste of our efforts if this continues,” Musa added.
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Choosing to play in the NPFL over several foreign offers, Musa expressed his ambition to help elevate the league to European standards but insisted that the current officiating does not reflect a league that takes itself seriously. “I wanted to help elevate the NPFL to European standards. But with officiating like what I saw in Lafia, it doesn’t reflect a serious league,” he said.
Kano Pillars’ Technical Advisor, Usman Abdallah, echoed Musa’s frustrations, questioning why the game wasn’t broadcast live as scheduled on StarTimes, with no prior explanation for the change.
“With officiating like what we experienced in Lafia, the NPFL will struggle to progress,” Abdallah added.
The match concluded with Kano Pillars falling 1-0 to Nasarawa United. They will now look to bounce back as they face Plateau United in their upcoming Matchday 10 fixture.