Assistant Coach of the Confluence Queens FC of Lokoja, Sabo Okala, on Thursday said that poor officiating in the Nigerian football leagues was militating against the development of the game.

Referee

Okala made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna after the goalless encounter between Confluence Queens and Minna-based FC Sa’adatu Amazon.

“We came with the intention of winning the match but it ended goalless due to bad officiating but we have to take it in the spirit of sportsmanship.

“Officiating of matches in Nigeria is poor because we don’t have good referees in Nigeria.

“Our referees don’t live up to expectations in football and because of that they are hardly recognised by the world football governing body, FIFA,’’ he said.

He urged football stakeholders in the country to put measures that would enable referees to perform better for the development of the leagues and also earn FIFA referees grading.

Okala, however, said that his side did not play well because they lost many scoring chances, adding that “they will make up in their next game’’.

Also, Coach Yahaya Mohammed of FC Sa’adatu Amazon told NAN that the game was good in spite of the 0-0 draw at home.

“In spite of the draw at home; I am comfortable because the Confluence Queens is made up of players from the national team.

“My girls performed well going by the calibre of players they faced,’’ he said.

(Source: NAN)