Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan says it has accepted the Nigeria
Football Federation sanctions against it in good faith.
The sanctions followed an attack on a match referee, Chrisantus
Okoro, in a Premier League match against Kwara United FC.
Jubril Arowolo, the Media Officer of 3SC, told the News Agency of
Nigeria that the club’s management had accepted the sanctions as a
lesson for the future.
“There is nothing we can do than to take the sanctions in good faith
and see it as lesson to our fans ahead of future matches,” he said.
The NFF sanctions would see 3SC playing three home matches under close door.
Ajibade Babalade, Team Manager, Daniel Asuquo, a player, and the
Supporters Club Chairman were all given a six-match ban.
Arowolo, who agreed that the sanctions came at a time 3SC was playing
host to big teams such as Dolphins FC and Kano United FC, said it was
a bitter pill the club had to swallow.
Ajibade Babalade, Team Manager of 3SC, however, told NAN that he was
innocent of the offence he was sanctioned for.
“I am not happy about the decision of the committee because I was not
invited to say my own side of the story,” he said.
Ajibade, who returned from Minna where his team recorded a 1-0 victory to JUTH FC of Jos in the Federation Cup, said: “I am conscious of my name and it is the referee who is trying to drag my name into the attack when I am innocent.”
The former Green Eagles defender said that the committee would have
invited him to watch the match video to determine his involvement as
being done in Europe.
Speaking on the issue, Olayioye Ajide, the Media Officer of Kwara Utd FC, told NAN on phone that 3SC was sanctioned for poor crowd control.
Ajide said: “The hoodlums were not 3SC supporters because Ajibade was
equally harassed.
“The only problem was that the hoodlums were allowed in.”
He said if 3SC supporters were really involved in the attack, the team would not have escaped banishment from Lekan Salami Stadium.
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