Abia Warriors FC of Umuahia coach, Imama Amapakabo has alleged that officials of his former club, Rangers International of Enugu, deliberately made 10 balls ‘disappear’ during their Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) fixture on Tuesday, Sports247 gathered.
Though Rangers went on to win the game 2-0 at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Stadium in Enugu, they are still a spot behind fourth-placed Abia Warriors on the NPFL log, and Amapakabo declared that his former team did an appalling thing to win Tuesday’s game.
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He also opined that The Flying Antelopes, which he coached to win the NPFL title in 2016, were not tactically superior to his squad, who were recently eliminated by Djoliba of Mali in the CAF Confederations Cup.
Imama posited, “Technical mistakes can not be attributed to tactical faults. They are two different things. When you talk about tactics, you have to ask, ‘Did Rangers create any major chance?’
“My sincere answer is no; though they scored two goals in the game. So, I think it’s about time we all look at it as football loving people and note that there are some things that don’t happen in Europe.”
The former international goalkeeper, who was the pioneer Golden Eaglets’ first choice during Nigeria’s conquest of the 1985 FIFA U16 World Cup in China, added that NPFL clubs should avoid ‘dirty tactics’ that would make football fans disappointed after paying to watch games at the stadium.
He added, “I feel pity for people sometimes, especially spectators, because I really want them to enjoy the game that they pay money to watch.
“I can’t imagine myself paying to watch a two-hour movie and, at the end of the day, the producer or director is faulty in the film.
“Rangers were leading 2-0 and had the game in their hands. So, why should they, from the very first minute of the second half, about 10 balls to play the match with all of a sudden disappeared.”
Amapakabo concluded by affirming that Tuesday’s development was not a good symbol for the NPFL and submitted: “It’s appalling, and it does not tell well of our football.
These are things that make us not able to market our football properly in Nigeria,” Amapakabo argued.
