Nigeria Football Federation suspends assistant referee indefinitely

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has indefinitely suspended assistant referee Aliyu Yakubu Bana following a controversial offside decision during a Nigeria Premier Football League match between Doma United and Enyimba.

According to a letter from Mohammed Ameenu, Secretary of the NFF Referee Development Committee, Bana failed to follow the “wait-and-see protocol” and offside situational guidelines while serving as Assistant Referee 1. This error led to the disallowance of a valid goal, an action the federation stated affected the match outcome and brought Nigerian refereeing into disrepute.

As a consequence of the ruling, Bana has been removed from the league list of referees and assistant referees for the 2026/2027 NPFL season. The match resulted in a 2-0 victory for Doma United, maintaining their perfect start to the season.