Fresh details have emerged revealing how the Chairman of Cynosure FC attempted to manipulate the outcome of a Nationwide League One (NLO) match by involving the chairman of Liberty Lions FC in a match-fixing scheme — a move that has not only resulted in his suspension but also triggered a wider investigation by the league authorities.
According to impeccable sources, the chairman of Cynosure FC allegedly contacted his counterpart at Liberty Lions FC, urging him to influence the chairman of E-Word United into helping them secure a favourable result in the final league fixture.
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The intention was to ensure Cynosure FC avoided relegation.
The plan came to light after Liberty Lions FC refused to participate in the unethical request and provided details of the conversation to league officials.
“In the lead-up to the final games, the Cynosure FC chairman informed Liberty Lions FC that his team was at risk of relegation. He then urged the Liberty Lions chairman to speak with E-Word FC and convince them to throw the match. But Liberty Lions rejected the idea outright,” a source with direct knowledge of the situation revealed.
Ironically, this development came just weeks after the Cynosure FC chairman filed a petition alleging that the match between Liberty Lions and E-Word United was manipulated, claiming it was played with seven players from one team against eleven — a claim later disproven by the NLO’s investigations.
In response, the NLO found the claim to be a deliberate attempt to mislead the league and subsequently fined the Cynosure FC chairman ₦500,000 and handed him a six-month suspension.
However, the scandal deepened on Tuesday when the NLO Secretariat, in a letter dated June 3, 2025 (Ref No. NNWL/LGMT/02/111), officially opened a preliminary investigation into the attempted match-fixing scheme.
The letter, addressed to the Ebonyi State Football Association and the Chairman of Cynosure FC, confirmed that there was an attempt to compromise the integrity of the match between Liberty Lions FC and E-Word United.
“The Nigeria Nationwide League One will not tolerate actions that compromise the integrity of football,” the letter read. “We are investigating the Chairman of Cynosure FC for approaching Liberty Lions FC with the intent to fix the outcome of their final league match. The sanctity of our game must be preserved.”
Football stakeholders across the country have expressed concern over the growing cases of attempted match manipulation in the lower divisions, urging the NLO to enforce stronger penalties as deterrents.
This case adds to the growing call for structural reforms and closer oversight of club officials in Nigeria’s third-tier league to uphold fairness and transparency in the game.
As investigations continue, the football community awaits further sanctions that could emerge from the ongoing probe, which may include additional punishments for any individuals found guilty of breaching the league’s ethics and conduct code.
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