Nigeria Rivers United Rejects NFF Decision Seek Redress From CAS

Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) club, Rivers United have rejected the decision of the Football Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation.


Africa Top Sports reported that on Tuesday the NFF Executive Committee endorsed the final table stand of submitted by the League Management Company (LMC)
But Rivers United said they will rather head to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to seek redress.


This was affirmed by the Permanent Secretary , Rivers State Ministry of Youths and Sports, Mr Honour Sirawoo.


 Sirawoo said the decision is rejected outrightly as PPG does not respect the number of matches a team played.

Read Also: Rivers United Loss As NFF Endorse LMC Final Table Stand


Following the decision to end the 2019-2020 NPFL season due to the coronavirus pandemic, all 20 clubs agreed that the Point Per Game be used to decide clubs that will represent the country in continental competition next season.


Rivers United who where second with 25 games before the suspension of the league finished third with the use of the PPG.


The final table standing saw Rivers finished third place while Enyimba who played lesser games emerged second with the head-to-head rule.


Meaning the Port-Harcourt based club will play in the CAF Confederation Cup rather and not the Champions League.


Sirawoo said, “PPG does not respect the number of matches you have played, its only points and margin that brings everybody to bar. 


“So, we did our calculations and Rivers United came second and we thanked them for that and also said if that is implemented, that would be the rule and that is the rule.


“Our argument is that there is a subsisting arrangement that recognises and envisages Force Majure, because the parameter for determining who wins any league competition is points. 


“So, if they, in Article 2.9, say positions will be decided by points, then goals difference, then goals for and against, before head-to-head, they cannot jump and go to head-to-head.


“If they are saying in fairness because Enyimba did not play the number of matches we played, that we should be reasonable.


“We will also tell them that we didn’t play Enyimba in Port Harcourt. 


“In that case, if they say fairness and they toss a coin, we will accept it.


“But they should not tell us that they applied PPG and that everybody has played equal games and then come back to say some people have suffered disadvantage, and they will enjoy it while we suffer. 


“If we have not used PPG, Enyimba cannot leave their position to be where they are.”


Sirawoo who is also the national President said the claim by the NFF that Rivers United complaint was belated was false. 


“They cannot also say our position was belated, because the day it was agreed was the day Rivers United General Manager released our statement, and we sent a letter to the LMC the next day, informing them of our position.


“But they took over two months to respond to us and immediately they responded, the next day, we reacted. 


“They are just trying to give a dog a bad name just to hang it, and we will challenge it at CAS and get international interpretation to it,” he added.


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