The week 35 Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) match between Rangers International and Enyimba FC was on Sunday abandoned in added time following a controversial penalty.

The Oriental Derby at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium was a title decider with Rangers topping the league standings with 60 points and Enyimba trailing them by two points.

Fans had trooped out en masse for the fiercely contested encounter which lived up to its billing until the unpleasant scenes at the end.

Following a pulsating 90 minutes, with the game tied goalless, Rangers were awarded a penalty seven minutes into added time for a foul that prevented its attacker from pouncing on a loose ball in the box, prompting protest from Enyimba players who confronted the referee.

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Trouble at Enugu as referee awards a late penalty to Rangers, prompting Enyimba players to stage a walkout and Enyimba fans to invade the pitch and disrupt the match. pic.twitter.com/4O6Y6NmnlZ

— Nigeria Stories (@NigeriaStories) June 9, 2024

However, the incident took another dimension when fans invaded the pitch, prompting Enyimba players to walk off it.

It remains unclear which fans encroached on the pitch, but efforts to resume play proved abortive as the match was abandoned.

The NPFL has yet to comment on the incident — as of the time of this report.

This is not the first time Enyimba will be involved in such a controversial situation.

The country’s most successful club also had their week 24 match against Doma United abandoned following a controversial winning goal for the Aba-based side.

Enyimba were fined N7 million and their stadium closed for three home matches.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria are set to face South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in a crucial 2026 World Cup qualifier match at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on Friday.

The match is pivotal for both teams as they vie for the top spot in Group C.

Nigeria, currently third in the FIFA World Cup African qualifiers table, is looking to secure a win that would catapult them to the top of the group before their next match against Benin Republic.

The Super Eagles have drawn their first two games, both ending 1-1 against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, leaving them in a tight spot against second-placed South Africa.

The Super Eagles and Bafana Bafana have a storied rivalry, with Nigeria historically holding the upper hand.

In their last 14 meetings, Nigeria has won seven and drawn five, while South Africa has only managed two victories.

Nigeria also recently defeated South Africa in a penalty shootout during the semi-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), before losing to Ivory Coast in the final.

Nigeria will be without key player Victor Osimhen, who is sidelined for four weeks due to injury. However, the team welcomes back Victor Boniface, who missed the 2023 AFCON tournament. New head coach Finidi George will be keen to leverage Boniface’s return to strengthen the squad.

On the other hand, South Africa, led by head coach Hugo Broos, is determined to exact revenge for their AFCON semi-final exit. The Bafana Bafana, currently second in Group C, one point ahead of Nigeria, will rely heavily on their talisman, Percy Tau, to deliver a strong performance.

Implications of the Match
A win for Nigeria will propel them to the top of the Group C table, putting them in a strong position ahead of their next qualifier against Benin Republic. On the other hand, a victory for South Africa would extend their lead over Nigeria to four points and secure their spot at the top of the group.

Nigeria’s dominance in this fixture adds an extra layer of intrigue. South Africa has not defeated Nigeria in their last three encounters, with the most recent meeting at AFCON ending in a draw. The Super Eagles will aim to continue this trend, while South Africa is eager to break their winless streak against Nigeria.

Match Details
Date: Friday, June 7, 2024
Time: 8 pm Nigerian time
Venue: Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, Nigeria
Broadcast: DSTV and the official YouTube channel of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Tottenham FC has confirmed that Eric Dier, Ivan Perisic, Ryan Sessegnon, and Japhet Tanganga will leave the club following the conclusion of their contracts.

The English club thanked the four senior team players for their service and wished them the best in their future endeavours.

In a Wednesday statement, the North London team also noted that four other players would no longer be in the club’s service.

“We can confirm the departures of Eric Dier, Ivan Perisic, Ryan Sessegnon and Japhet Tanganga following the conclusion of their contracts.

“We said farewell to both Eric and Ivan in January as they headed off to join their new clubs, initially on loan.

“Defender Eric joined Bayern Munich, having made 365 appearances and scored 13 goals in nine-and-a-half years with us, while left winger Ivan linked up with HNK Hajduk Split, having appeared 50 times in our colours, scoring once, following his arrival in 2022. Both of their contracts with us have now come to an end.

“Following the conclusion of the 2023/24 season, we now bid farewell to Ryan and Japhet.

“Left-back Ryan joined us from Fulham in 2019 and went on to make 57 appearances for us, scoring three goals. He also had a loan spell in Germany with Hoffenheim in 2020/21.

“Central defender Japhet is a product of our Academy system and enjoyed his breakthrough campaign at first team level with us in 2019/20, memorably making his Premier League debut from the start against Liverpool in January of that season. Japhet went on to make 50 senior competitive appearances in our colours before embarking on loan spells at FC Augsburg in Germany and latterly Millwall during the recently-concluded campaign.

“We thank Eric, Ivan, Ryan and Japhet for their service to the Club and wish them all the very best for the future,” the statement read.

The club also bid farewell to some players from their development squad and U-18 male team as they gear up in preparation for the next season.

“From our Development Squad, we can confirm the departures of Charlie Sayers following the conclusion of his contract and Billy Heaps following the conclusion of his third-year scholarship.

“Defender Charlie joined our Academy from Southend United in December, 2021, while midfielder Billy arrived from hometown club Stevenage in 2018.

“Under-18s players Kieran Morgan and Han Willhoft-King have also departed following the conclusion of their scholarships. They have been in our Academy system since the Under-8s and Under-7s respectively.

“We thank Charlie, Billy, Kieran, Han and their families for their hard work and dedication to our Academy and wish them well for the future,” it added.