Ugochukwu Iwuchukwu
Rivers United have reportedly filed a protest against relegation-threatened Jigawa Golden Stars for featuring a player that has been suspended prior to their matchday 34 duel.
Rivers United had lost two one to Jigawa Golden Stars in Matchday 34 of Nigeria Professional Football League NPFL last Wednesday in Kaduna.
The player in question is Christopher Richard who played in the Jigawa Golden Stars win against Rivers United last Wednesday.
It was made clear that Richard was to serve a match suspension owing to the accumulation of yellow cards.
It was in the same circumstance that the Nigerian Super Eagles were made to forfeit their last World Cup qualifying match which ended 1-1 with Algeria four years ago.
At the match which FIFA awarded to Algeria, despite the North Africans not protesting, Nigeria featured Shehu Abdulahi who got a second caution in the penultimate match against Zambia in Uyo.
In a similar circumstance, Rivers United are expecting a forfeiture of the matchday 34 duel by Jigawa Golden Stars.
According to the LMC rule book, Jigawa’s offence carries forfeiture of three points and three goals.
Like Nigeria claimed in the failed attempt to let the Super Eagles’ 1-1 draw in the World Cup qualifying duel with Algeria be upheld, Jigawa Golden Stars can no lay claim to ignorance.
Sunshine Stars of Akure once found themselves in a situation they had to forfeit the services of a player, Fuad Ekelojuoti who was in the programme for the visit of Katsina but had to drop him after the receipt of suspension notification on the player.
