11th August, 2021
By Olayinka Owolewa/Ilorin
Kwara United FC will approach the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) over the decision of committees of the NFF to award three points and three goals to Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt.
The decision threw out Kwara United from their position on the NPLF table to 4th.
This made them to miss the chance to play in the CAF Confederation Cup next season, for the first time.
The club announced its legal challenge on Tuesday, in a statement by the team’s head of media, Jimoh Bashir.
The club expressed dissatisfaction over the ruling of the NFF Appeal Committee, on the dispute between Jigawa Golden Stars and Rivers United, concerning their Match Day 34 encounter.
Kwara United FC had ended the season with 65 points and plus 20 goals difference, which guaranteed it a third place finish on the final table of the 2020/2021 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season.
But the decision of the Disciplinary Committee of the NFF, which awarded three points and three goals to sixth placed Rivers United, ensured they ended above both Kwara United FC and Enyimba FC, to land in second place.
Jigawa Golden Stars had fielded an ineligible player in their match against Rivers United FC in their adopted home in Kaduna.
The player fielded had an accumulation of five yellow cards and should not have played.
The League Management Company (LMC) admitted not sending suspension notifications to Jigawa Golden Stars in respect of the concerned player.
In its ruling on Tuesday (Aug. 10), the Appeal Committee upheld the decision of the Disciplinary Committee.
The decision that finally sealed the positions of the top three teams on the table of the 2020/2021 NPFL season, placing Kwara United FC in fourth.
But Kwara United expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling of the Appeal Committee, and also questioned the one-sided attendance of the Committee, as well as its headship.
According to Kumbi Titiloye, the Chairman of Kwara United FC , the Chairman of Appeal Committee, Eddy Mark, is an employee of Rivers State Government, and would not be seen to have decided otherwise.
He also added that the Appeal Committee is not duly constituted because, since the new board of NFF was inaugurated, the Appeal Committee has become legal.
“Kwara United FC rejects this decision in its entirety and will put NFF on notice immediately before proceeding to Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS),” he said.