Captain of the Nigerian national football team, the Super Eagles, Ahmed Musa, has openly criticized the officiating during the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Matchday 9 fixture between Nasarawa United and Kano Pillars, labeling the officials as “moral killers” for their performance at the Lafia City Stadium on Sunday.

The officiating team, led by center referee Dahiru Muhammed Kawo and assistant referee Abdulmajid Sani Potiskum, made several significant errors, including allowing a contentious goal by Nasarawa United, where two players, including the scorer, appeared to be offside. They also struggled to maintain a consistent flow of the game.

In a post-match interview, Musa expressed his disappointment, stating that such officiating lapses demoralize players and undermine the league’s credibility.

Recently returned to his boyhood club Kano Pillars, alongside Shehu Abdullahi, Musa had hoped to contribute to the growth of Nigerian football domestically. However, he now questions his decision due to the officiating issues.

“I’ve praised the officiating and the progress of the league until now, but the performance in this Matchday 9 game makes me wonder if returning to the NPFL was the right choice,” Musa said.

To promote the league’s development, he emphasized the need for an overhaul of officiating standards, asserting, “For the league to improve, we need to address the quality of officiating. Officials must not undermine the players’ morale and effort.”

He further stated that if the officiating does not improve, he would hesitate to recommend the league to his fellow Super Eagles teammates. “If I keep witnessing such officiating, I cannot encourage anyone to return to the NPFL. It would be a waste of our efforts if this continues.”

Musa urged NPFL management to take disciplinary action against officials who harm the league’s reputation, suggesting that accountability would deter similar conduct in the future.

Regarding his choice to play in the NPFL instead of accepting international offers, the former Leicester City and CSKA Moscow forward remarked, “I wanted to help elevate the NPFL to European standards. But with officiating like what I saw in Lafia, it doesn’t reflect a serious league.”

Kano Pillars’ Technical Adviser, Usman Abdallah, echoed Musa’s concerns, calling for decisive action against officials who damage the league’s image. He also questioned why the match was not broadcast live as scheduled by the league’s broadcast partner, StarTimes, without prior notice of the change.

“With officiating like what we experienced in Lafia, the NPFL will struggle to progress,” Abdallah concluded.

Kano Pillars lost the match 1-0 and will face Plateau United in their next outing on Matchday 10.