Against the backdrop of Nigeria Football Federation, NFF’s proposed plan to discontinue football activities in the country due to Coronavirus pandemic, a season sports administrator, Rt. Honourable Olaniyan Babatunde David, popularly called Akoro has expressed displeasure with the plan saying that is a needless reason.

Hon. Akoro who is the chairman of Oyo State Football Referees Academy and former Deputy Speaker Oyo State House of Assembly stated this at the Oyo State Coaching Education and Grassroots Development Seminar facilitated by Kobayashi Bolarinwa Obalola.

The season match commissioner in the NPFL noted the suspension of the league hasn’t been disrupted enough for league actions to be cancelled adding that league can still be concluded because Nigerian football calendar usually runs through the year.

“I don’t see the reason why the NFF should not complete this season and I want to start by saying even before COVID 19 when do we normally start and finish our league?

“Most times we play till Christmas period and the new season might not even start until next year so what is disturbing us from completing our league?

“With the situation of things on ground now, even where COVID 19 started from they have already started their matches while some in African countries likes our have also started their leagues.

“I only believe that the people at the helm of affairs in our government are more of politicians than sports persons.

“The last time I heard a news from the secretary to the state government, he said we shouldn’t think of sports now and to say the least I was so much embarrassed with such statement.

“I see no reason why we shouldn’t start thinking about how to go about the continuation of our league either using the Super 6 Playoffs to decide the champion or the use of empty stadiums.

Take a look at our Nationwide League (NLO), They can still go ahead and play this league within eight weeks as they usual have designated centers where teams will be grouped and we are now in June,” he said.

The former lawmaker in the seventh assembly of Oyo State who also spoke about qualities required of a good referee and he said “What a referee need as skill is to be physically and mentally fit. He has to have the ability to understand the laws of the game.

“A good referee must be ready to move close to the ball at 9.15 meters, a referee must be ready to run than players.”

The Coaching Education and Referee Seminar which was coordinated by Coach Adeyemo Ayodeji is part of give back initiative of former Shooting Stars’ player, Kobayashi Bolarinwa Obalola who currently based in Japan.

Obalola who also played for Prime FC (now Osun United) and Stationery Stores before moving abroad is now the coach of Zion FC of Tokyo in Japan.

  Kobayashi Bolarinwa Obalola, Oyo State, Rt. Hon. Olaniyan Babatunde David