Nigerian Football League Plagued by Disturbing Fan Violence

Just moments after the final whistle, Vincent Temitope, a forward for Nigerian football club Plateau United, found himself bleeding profusely due to a severe cut on his neck.

This brutal incident occurred following Temitope’s goal in a 3-2 defeat against Nasarawa United last month in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

The club has attributed the assault to fans of the home team, with director Yaksat Maklek stating that some supporters attacked Temitope, causing a significant laceration to his neck and resulting in substantial bleeding.

Such acts of violence have become distressingly common in a league where home teams frequently resort to unscrupulous methods to secure victory.

Just a week prior to Temitope’s ordeal, players from the Lagos-based team Ikorodu City required rescue from a stadium in Ibadan, located in southwestern Nigeria, after drawing 1-1 against the host team, Shooting Stars.

Reports indicate that match officials were forced to disguise themselves as police officers to escape the wrath of violent fans during their departure from the stadium.

Only a month earlier, John Dosu, the goalkeeping coach for Shooting Stars, was assaulted by a member of a rival team.

“The overwhelming drive for victory, especially among those teams vying for a top-three finish or trying to avoid relegation, often lies at the heart of this crowd violence,” Toyin Ibitoye, a former spokesperson for Nigeria’s national football team, the Super Eagles, told AFP.

Fan violence at these venues is often exacerbated by the implicit support some clubs provide to the aggressors, according to Ibitoye.

The culmination of this is a toxic match-day environment, where fans feel entitled to launch attacks on players and officials when outcomes don’t favour them.

Players and officials are not the only ones in jeopardy.

There was also a chaotic scene where police had to deploy tear gas to disperse hundreds of furious fans who stormed the pitch following Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.

On the other hand, analyst Emeka Nwani contends that the levels of “violence and hooliganism” are often exaggerated by media portrayals.

Patrice Motsepe, president of the Confederation of African Football, recently reiterated his “unwavering and profound” commitment to eradicating violence in African football stadiums during a press conference in Ghana.

“We categorically want to prevent any situation where a single fan gets injured at a stadium under any circumstance,” Motsepe stated in response to inquiries about the recent spate of incidents across the continent.

Corrupt officiating

The integrity of the Nigerian league is further undermined by questionable officiating, a problem that officials are striving to address.

As the season approaches its conclusion on May 18th, league authorities are racing to confront the persistent issue of dubious refereeing.

Some fans allege that referees display bias or succumb to pressure, particularly during high-stakes matches.

In a stern memo issued two weeks ago, the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) admonished referees at all levels to maintain fairness or face consequences.

It warned that referees found guilty of malpractice could face a decade-long ban and potentially be handed over to law enforcement for further investigation and prosecution.

For many club officials, this warning has been long overdue.

“This is how to address the ‘mago mago’ we repeatedly witness at this stage of the league,” an official from one local club remarked to AFP, using local slang for foul play or manipulation.

‘Superficial sanctions’

Despite the fines and stadium bans occasionally imposed by the NPFL board, these measures are often viewed as mere cosmetic changes.

Clubs typically escape serious consequences beyond token penalties and banned fans frequently return to stadiums without deterrence.

Nasarawa United was fined six million naira (roughly $3,740) following the attack on Plateau United’s Temitope and was mandated to host its remaining home games in a neighbouring state until season’s end.

Experts believe that to effectively combat violence, harsher penalties should be imposed on both clubs and unruly supporters.

“For me, the most effective sanctions would include not only banning the fans… or relocating the club’s home games, but also point deductions,” Nwani shared with AFP.

Improved officiating standards, better stadium security, and active fan engagement could also play pivotal roles in reducing violence, according to Ibitoye, who urged for “enhanced surveillance cameras” to help identify wrongdoers.