Governing Bodies
VIDEO: LMC explains how two minute added time turned almost to eternity at NPFL match of Katsina United and Remo Stars
Following the uproar that followed the unusual added time in the Match Day 35 encounter of Katsina United and Remo Stars on Sunday, the League Management Committee (LMC) has come out with an explanation of the absurdity.
The home team won 3-2 with the winning goal being scored 34 minutes after the original regulation time.
The press statement issued by the LMC explained that following the second goal of Remo Stars which was scored in the the added time, the home team, Katsina United, held up the game and refused to restart.
Thereafter, there was encroachment on the field by the spectators which accounted for the unusual overtime.
But according to sources at the match, the fourth referee had indicated an added time of two minutes which was vividly captured on video camera. The goal was scored barely 30 seconds later.
Katsina officials disputed the goal and the match was held up for close to 20 minutes. According to a retired Nigerian international referee, contacted by the Sports Village Square, a referee calls off a match after waiting for 15 minutes if a team refused to continue, especially on account of a disputed goal.
“If the remaining time for the match is not up to 15 minutes, the game is called off at the expiration of the remaining time”, said the retired FIFA-badged referee.
Should that had happened, the game, even when it restarted should have been played for just the remaining seconds of the added two minutes.
The full text of the LMC explanations reads:
“It has become necessary to correct the erroneous viral news of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) MatchDay 35 fixture in Katsina (Katsina Utd vs Remo Stars) played on Sunday June 26th 2022.
“Some social media accounts have been spreading information that the match between Katsina United and Remo Stars had over 30 minutes added time.
“This is not true. The match was disrupted by players of Katsina United who protested Remo Stars second equalising goal late in the game. In the process of the players contesting the Referees decision, there was encroachment on the field of play and it took some time before the encroachment was cleared and normalcy was restored.
“The goal stood and the match duly restarted to conclude the remaining added minutes. However, most of those commenting, including some Sports Journalists followed the match on online live game trackers such as Livescore, Betway, flashscore and it need be pointed out that these platforms hardly indicate that a game was inactive and most times leaves there match clock active through out the match.
“It is not possible for a Referee to allow 30 minutes of added time in a 45 minutes half. We appeal to fans and the media to always verify the information they share, especially such that are detrimental to the health of the brand.
“It will be recalled that on MatchDay 33 there was a similar incident in the match between Lobi Stars and Heartland which had several stoppages due to injuries and time wastage right from the first half. “The game was not conclude on time and the same internet websites/blogs reported the match as having 27minutes added time which was totally not correct but also created similar confusion.
“Furthermore, it must be emphasized for the general public to note that only the Match Official is in charge of the official timing of a match and not any online websites/blogs. The LMC is therefore awaiting the official match reports on the encroachment at Katsina so as to take appropriate actions/sanctions on any party found to have erred pursuant to the stipulations of the NPFL framework and rules.”
World football governing body, FIFA, today clocks its 122nd anniversary, celebrating more than a century of overseeing and expanding the global game.
Founded on May 21, 1904, in Paris, France, FIFA began with just seven member associations — France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
From that modest beginning, the organisation has grown into the most influential sports governing body in the world, with 211 member associations spread across all continents.
Over the decades, FIFA has transformed football into a truly global phenomenon through competitions such as the FIFA World Cup, Women’s World Cup, Club World Cup, youth tournaments, and developmental programmes aimed at growing the game worldwide.
The organisation has also witnessed remarkable milestones, including the expansion of the men’s World Cup from 13 teams in 1930 to 48 teams beginning from the 2026 edition to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
FIFA’s journey has equally reflected football’s growing influence beyond sport, with the game becoming a major tool for diplomacy, social inclusion, youth empowerment, and economic development across the world.
As FIFA celebrates 122 years of existence, attention is now focused on the future of the game, technological innovations, expanded competitions, women’s football growth, and the continued globalisation of football.
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UEFA has issued a lifetime ban to Petr Vlachovsky, a Czech women’s soccer coach who secretly filmed his players, the governing body announced on Tuesday.
Czech media reported that the coach was convicted in May 2025 and initially received a suspended one-year prison sentence and a five-year domestic coaching ban for filming FC Slovacko’s players in changing rooms, the youngest of whom was 17.
In a statement, UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) said it had decided to ban Vlachovsky “from exercising any football-related activity for life” following the appointment of an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to investigate allegations of potential misconduct.
“The CEDB further decided to request FIFA to extend the abovementioned ban on a worldwide level and to order the Football Association of the Czech Republic to revoke Mr Petr Vlachovsky’s coaching licence,” the statement added.
FC Slovacko did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Football players’ union FIFPRO welcomed the ban as well as UEFA’s request for world soccer governing body FIFA to impose an international ban on Vlachovsky.
“This outcome sends a strong and necessary message that abusive and inappropriate behaviour has no place in football and that safeguarding the well-being of players must remain a priority at every level of the game,” FIFPRO added in a statement.
Vlachovsky had also previously served as coach of the Czech women’s Under-19s team.
RELATED STORY: https://sportsvillagesquare.com/2026/04/08/outrage-as-male-coach-who-secretly-filmed-women-players-still-free-to-work-in-football/
-Reuters
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Southampton have been kicked out of the Championship playoff final after being found guilty of spying on semi-final opponents Middlesbrough, the English Football League said on Tuesday.
Middlesbrough, who lost 2-1 to Southampton on aggregate in the semi, have been reinstated and will face Hull City on Saturday in what is dubbed the world’s richest soccer match.
Promotion to the Premier League, even with an immediate relegation, is estimated to be worth in the region of 200 million pounds ($268.10 million) over three seasons.
Southampton, who admitted the charges, were also found guilty of filming training sessions involving Oxford United in December and Ipswich Town in April during the regular season.
They have also been deducted four points from the start of next season in England’s second tier.
“An Independent Disciplinary Commission has today expelled Southampton from the Championship play-offs after the club admitted multiple breaches of EFL regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other clubs’ training,” the EFL said.
“Southampton admitted breaches of Regulations requiring Clubs to act with the utmost good faith and prohibiting the observation of another Club’s training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match.
“The effect of today’s order is that Middlesbrough are reinstated into the 2026 play-offs and will proceed to the play-off final against Hull City. The final remains scheduled for Saturday 23 May, with the kick-off time to be confirmed.”
The EFL confirmed that Southampton could appeal against the decision and that “parties are working to try and resolve any appeal on Wednesday 20 May.
“Subject to the outcome, it could result in a further change to Saturday’s fixture,” the statement said.
‘BORO CALLED FOR SOUTHAMPTON EXPULSION
Middlesbrough had called for Southampton’s expulsion after having a training session at their Rockliffe Park site filmed 48 hours ahead of the first leg of their playoff semi-final with Southampton which ended 0-0.
The north-east club said they welcomed the decision.
“We believe this sends out a clear message for the future of our game regarding sporting integrity and conduct,” the north Middlesbrough said in a statement.
“As a club, we are now focused on our game against Hull City at Wembley on Saturday.”
Southampton were relegated from the Premier League last season and were struggling in the early part of this campaign until a storming finish in which they went unbeaten in 19 league games to finish fourth and enter the playoffs.
The south-coast club are the first to fall foul of the Football League’s regulation 127 — brought in after Leeds United were found guilty of spying on Derby County seven years ago, an offence for which they were fined 200,000 pounds.
-Reuters
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