Bendel Insurance protest Rangers' winner as NPFL reviews displaced crossbar goal
- Bendel Insurance have formally protested Rangers' 1-0 win in Awka, saying the goal came after the crossbar was displaced.
- The NPFL says it has reviewed video evidence and agrees with the club's grievance.
- The matter now goes to the NFF Referees Appointment Committee, which will rule on the protest.
Bendel Insurance have lodged a formal protest with the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) over the goal that gave Enugu Rangers a 1-0 win in their rescheduled Matchday 9 fixture in Awka, Anambra State, on Wednesday.
The Benin club say Rangers' 47th-minute winner should not have stood because the crossbar had come out of position before the ball went in.
In a statement signed by the club's Head of Media, Kehinde Osagiede, Bendel Insurance argued that the laws of the game require play to stop once the crossbar is displaced or broken, until it is repaired or replaced. The club said that was not done.
Bendel Insurance said the protest is not about a referee's judgement call but about whether the rules were applied at all. Because the goal decided the match, the club says the error changed the result.
The club was careful to say it is not accusing the match officials of deliberate wrongdoing. It described the petition as a formal challenge over the application of the laws, with emphasis on player safety, fair competition and the integrity of the NPFL.
League agrees, sends case to NFF committee
The NPFL acknowledged the protest in a short statement on its X account on Friday. According to the league, it reviewed video evidence of the incident and agreed with Bendel Insurance's grievance.
The league has now referred the matter to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Referees Appointment Committee for review. That committee is expected to communicate its decision to the NPFL.
Rangers remain top of the NPFL table with 21 points from 10 matches, with a game in hand. Bendel Insurance sit fourth on 18 points.
What happens next
All eyes are on the NFF Referees Appointment Committee, whose ruling could affect the result of the match and the standings at the top of the table. Until that decision comes, the 1-0 win stands.
For fans, the case is a test of how seriously the league handles complaints about match officials. A clear, quick ruling would help settle nerves as the season tightens at the top.
