Ranchers Bees technical adviser Usman Abd’Allah says his team should have been awarded two penalties during their goalless draw with Rivers United in the NPFL.
The matchday six fixture at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano ended 0-0 on Monday, with Abd’Allah criticising the standard of officiating after his side were forced to settle for a single point.
The former Rivers United coach said Ranchers Bees had been denied the chance to take all three points, although he praised his players for their efforts.
“I think we lost two points. We only have one, which is better than having none. Everyone can see what happened in the game. I have to commend the players despite everything,” Abd’Allah said in his post-match interview.
He claimed two incidents in the penalty area should have resulted in spot-kicks for the home side and questioned the fairness of the decisions made during the contest.
“This is where the Nigerian league is at the moment. Sometimes, it is beyond football. You can see two penalties that were not awarded to us,” he said.
“If you look at the game, the referee was totally biased. Again, I don’t want to dwell too much on that because the harm has already been done. The points cannot be recovered.”
Abd’Allah added that any subsequent action against the referee would not undo the effect of the decisions on Ranchers Bees’ result.
“Even if you punish the referee, our club has already been punished by him. We can’t get the full points. But it is okay; I’m not trying to incite any violence,” he said.
The coach also believes Ranchers Bees could benefit from returning to their home ground in Kaduna, having played all six of their matches this season away from home.
The absence of home support, he said, had made the team feel as though they were continually playing on their opponents’ ground.
“Probably when we go back to our home in Kaduna, it will help us because we are like playing away. We have played six matches already this season, and it feels like the same thing,” Abd’Allah said.
“Sometimes, when you have your home support, it is good. If Rivers United can come away and get this type of officiating, then the purpose of the league is not justified.”
Despite his frustration, Abd’Allah insisted Ranchers Bees would continue their campaign and would not allow the setback to affect their determination.
“We will go back and not give up. This type of intimidation will not make us give up. We are still pushing, and we will see what we can do,” he added.
Ranchers Bees will next travel to Kwara, where Abd’Allah said they would attempt to make up for the points dropped against Rivers United.
“We will go to Kwara and try to recover the lost points here,” he said.