5th September, 2012
Kano Pillars will be crowned Nigerian champions on Friday after the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) expelled Ocean Boys from the competition for missing two straight games.
The board of the NPL on Wednesday finally enforced the rule that Ocean Boys be thrown out of the league after they failed to honour two straight games during the season.
As a result all points involving matches with them have been deducted from all the teams affected.
NPL board member Abdulrasaq Owolabi Wopa confirmed the Ocean Boys decision.
“Ocean Boys have been expelled from the league and all the points involving them during the season have been deducted,” said Owolabi who headed the three-man committee set up to decide on the issue.
Pillars, first crowned champions in 2008, will be the biggest beneficiaries of this ruling as they remain top of the league on 60 points after the four points they recorded against Ocean Boys were deducted.
Their final day match at Sunshine Stars on Friday will therefore be a formality as win or lose they will be champions.
“Justice has been served,” said a delighted Pillars spokesman Idris Malikawa.
“Nigerian football can only move forward as a result of this decision. This will most certainly instil more public confidence in the NPL.”
“We have also officially been contacted that the league trophy is on its way to Ijebu-Ode, where it will be presented to us on Friday.”
Lobi will remain in second place on 57 points going into their last game away at Kaduna United, but Enugu Rangers could miss out on finishing even as runners-up as they have now slipped to 55 points.
Their only hope to coming second is to beat Sharks at home on Friday and then hope Lobi do not win in Kaduna.
The league champions as well as the runners-up will represent Nigeria in next year’s CAF Champions League.