In football,  referees may have significant power and influence over the final outcome of a game through goals validated, penalties, red and yellow cards, off-side and foul calls, among other actions. The decisions the make can make or mar the game thereby giving a bitter taste to the teams at the receiving end even neutral spectators most times gets pissed when the officiating of a football game goes wrong.

 The Abia State FA Cup has in recent years seen tremendous improvement in terms of packaging and officiating. Many amateurs and non-league sides have really punched above their weight do to the level playing ground the competition has witnessed recently. But in a quarter final fixture of the ongoing 2024 edition between last season's finalists and Ahudiya Nnem FC and debutant Top level FA, the age long menace apparently showed up again.

 

In most cases during the first half of the game the officials for reasons best known to him slowed down the pace of Top level's game by unnecessarily cutting off  their attacks with offside which  clearly was  not. the center referee also contributed in frustrating the Top level side, in most cases when they obviously should have an advantage to continue play the referee calls them back with a foul in their favour and in most cases ignores an obvious foul that would have been in their favour.

Though he appeared to be fair in the second half  but the damage had already been done as the game ended 3-0 in favour of Ahudiya Nnem FC.

The Abia FA needs to look into the issue of officiating as it could mar whatever efforts they are making in improving football in the State.