The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has placed referee Abdulrasheed Jimoh and assistant referee Adamu Zakari on indefinite suspension following a disputed decision to disallow a Kwara United goal against Rangers International in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).
The disciplinary action was taken by the NFF Refereeing Development Committee after reviewing the incident during Sunday's Matchday 12 encounter at the Awka Township Stadium in Anambra State.
Rangers, who are defending their league title, won the match 1-0, with Victor Chimezie scoring in the 40th minute to give the home side the advantage.
However, the major talking point came in the 78th minute when Kwara United appeared to have drawn level through Alex Jerry.
The goal was subsequently cancelled after assistant referee Zakari raised his flag for an infringement, a decision that left the visitors frustrated.
Video footage of the incident later emerged on social media, triggering widespread criticism and questions over the officials' judgement.
The NPFL announced the suspension on Tuesday through its official X account, saying the two referees had been sanctioned indefinitely for cancelling what the NFF committee considered a validly scored goal.
The decision means Jimoh and Zakari will not be assigned to officiate any league matches until the suspension is lifted.
Despite their late attempts to secure an equaliser, Kwara United, nicknamed the Harmony Boys, could not find a breakthrough as Rangers defended their lead to claim maximum points.
The outcome further strengthened Rangers' position at the top of the league standings.
The latest development comes against the backdrop of recurring concerns about refereeing standards in Nigerian football, with controversial decisions often provoking reactions from participating clubs and their supporters.
The indefinite suspension represents a disciplinary response by the football authorities to an officiating error considered significant enough to have potentially altered the outcome of a league fixture.
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