Poor officiating: Gombe United Gaffer questions Bendel Insurance’s unbeaten record
Chima Azubuike
Gombe United Gaffer Aliyu Zubair, on Sunday lamented Bendel Insurance match at Pantami stadium, describing the team’s unbeaten record as possible ‘flaw’, if bad officiating had assisted them just like the one exhibited.
Zubair made this disclosure during his post-match conference with journalists said the 90-minute game, lasted for only 70 minutes following the interferences from Referee.
Our correspondent reports that the game between Gombe United and Bendel Insurance ended goalless.
Zubair wondered why the Referee meddled with the flow of the game, blaming the result of the match to poor officiating.
Zubair said, “The Referee didn’t allow the game to flow, the officials in general. The officiating officials didn’t allow the game to flow because ordinarily he stopped the match for no reasons and he did that for more than six times; inviting unnecessary pressure, so I think it was the referee that didn’t allow the flow of the game.”
Asked why a Referee who should be given to organisation of match would disrupt a match, Zubair said, “Organisers should ask him that. I as coach is expected to coach my players on how to play, on how to play which I did but he didn’t allow the game to go; for the whole of 90 minutes we didn’t play for 70 minutes. If he had allowed the game to flow and we played the exact time we were supposed to play, they wouldn’t have gotten any escape root. I’m not saying he assisted Insurance but the Referee did not allow the duration to be complete.”
While responding to the position of Bendel’s unbeaten record, Zubair added, “If this is how they are getting the officiating not to be beaten, they will continue to remain unbeaten because we didn’t play the game. If this is how the Bendel Insurance have been going in their unbeaten then it’s a flaw, the unbeaten has been a flaw.
“This type of Referee should be cautioned, they have been doing well but this one did not allow the flow of the game.”
Meanwhile, due to the harsh atmosphere which the game caused Bendel’s Gaffer wasn’t able to respond to some of the allegations made by his counterpart.
