Yewa FC begins final promotion push after surviving NLO playoff controversy

Fresh off a controversial playoff victory, Yewa FC Academy is set to begin its final push for promotion to the Nigeria National League (NNL). The Ogun State-based club faces stiff competition in the South-West 2 Promotional Playoffs, scheduled for July 10-14 in Ado-Ekiti.

Yewa FC Academy will compete against Ijebu United FC, Adeyemi FC, and Dokkal Khairu FC in a round-robin format. Only the group winner will secure promotion to the second-tier NNL. The club's campaign begins on July 10 against Ijebu United, followed by a match against Adeyemi FC on July 12, and concluding against Dokkal Khairu FC on July 14.

The past week was dominated by boardroom disputes and disciplinary proceedings that nearly derailed Yewa's promotion ambitions. The club advanced after defeating FC Ebedei 1-0 in a rescheduled match, concluding a contentious playoff fixture. The original encounter was abandoned when Yewa's goalkeeper, Olalere Ridwan, suffered a serious injury, leading FC Ebedei players to leave the pitch.

Yewa FC Academy Chairman, Mojeed Ibrahim, asserted that the match abandonment was not due to the injury itself but because FC Ebedei decided to end the game. He stated, "A football match cannot end because one side decides it is over." The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) initially ordered the remaining minutes to be replayed before suspending the fixture due to "critical discrepancies and compromises" in officials' reports. The league subsequently investigated match officials for alleged unauthorized disclosure of confidential reports.

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A football match cannot end because one side decides it is over.