NPFL fines Doma United ₦5.25m, orders three home games behind closed doors
- The NPFL fined Doma United ₦5.25m over alleged security breaches at their 1-1 draw with Kun Khalifat FC in Gombe.
- The club must play its next three home matches without spectators if the sanctions stand.
- Doma have 48 hours to appeal, and the league wants the match commissioner demoted.
The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has fined Doma United ₦5.25m and ordered the club to play its next three home matches behind closed doors, after trouble at Saturday's 1-1 draw with Kun Khalifat FC in Gombe.
The league said the Matchday Nine game at Pantami Stadium was marked by security breaches and misconduct by supporters. Doma United, known as the Savannah Tigers, have 48 hours from the date of the notice to appeal.
What the league alleges
In its disciplinary notice, the NPFL accused Doma of failing to provide adequate security, which it said allowed unauthorised people into restricted areas.
The league also cited hostile behaviour by the club's supporters towards match officials and members of the visiting team. It alleged gross misconduct involving a Kun Khalifat official after the match.
The fines break down like this: ₦3m for repeated failures to provide adequate security at home matches, ₦1m over the alleged hostility towards match officials, and another ₦1m over the incident involving the visiting team's official.
Doma must also pay ₦250,000 towards the medical treatment of Kun Khalifat head coach Obinna Uzoho, who was injured during the incident.
The NPFL further recommended that the match commissioner be demoted to a lower division, over alleged dereliction of duty, inadequate supervision and insufficient reporting of what happened.
Why it matters
The sanctions speak to a familiar worry for Nigerian football fans: safety at match venues. The league said the measures are part of its push to protect players, coaches, officials and visiting teams, and warned Doma to tighten security and educate supporters on acceptable conduct.
Further breaches, the NPFL cautioned, could attract more severe punishment.
For Doma, the immediate cost is money and atmosphere. If the sanctions stand, the Savannah Tigers will play their next three home fixtures in an empty stadium, losing the home support that visiting teams often have to contend with.
What happens next: Doma have two days to decide whether to appeal. The match commissioner's demotion is a recommendation, and it is not yet clear whether it has been carried out.
