TheCable

Kabiru Dogo, Lobi Stars head coach, has accused the centre referee of failing to manage the game effectively during his team’s 1-0 loss to Mountain of Fire Miracle Ministry (MFM) FC.

The Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) match, which took place on Sunday, was officiated by Fedinand Udoh, a FIFA-badge referee.

During the encounter, Dogo’s players could be seen constantly protesting some of the decisions made by Fedinand.

The complaints appeared to have reached a tipping point for the referee at the end of the game as he showed a red card to Ebube Duru, Lobi’s captain.

Speaking with TheCable, the coach blamed the referee’s “impatience” for causing the fracas, saying the situation could have been better managed.

He also disclosed that the absence of the team’s captain won’t affect his side’s performance against Warri Wolves in their next game.

“The referee overreacted on some little things that he’s supposed to overlook. He’s in charge and everybody knows that but he should have been patient. He’s supposed to manage the situation better,” Dogo said.

On Duru’s send-off, he said: “The team is not built around anyone, it’s a 35-man list and another person will take over from him.”

Imeh Atobasi’s eight-minute strike was the lone goal of the game as MFM made it three wins in three games since the league’s second stanza resumed.

On his part, Gabriel Olamilekan, MFM head coach, said the run of good form was due to the fixing of the team’s failings throughout the league’s first round of matches.

“We worked on the lapses that we didn’t get in the first stanza. And as you can see the work is showing in the team, that’s why we are getting the results,” he said.

MFM are currently 12th on the log with 30 points, one adrift of Lobi in 10th.