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Heartland
goalkeeper, Bassey Akpan, is the latest player to incur the wrath of
the Nigeria Premier League, as the Super Eagles invitee was yesterday
handed a one-match ban, along with a hundred thousand Naira fine by the
league body for improper conduct.

The league, in a
statement, said the punishment was handed out following his poor
behaviour in last Sunday’s game against Sunshine Stars. Acting
Executive Secretary of the Premier League, Tunji Babalola, said Akpan
was fined and suspended based on the match report submitted to the NPL.
According to Babalola, the report revealed that the Heartland
goalkeeper shoved the centre referee, Friday Awogo, during the game.
“He (Akpan) pushed the referee during the game between Sunshine Stars
and Heartland,” he said. “That incident was in the match report
submitted to the NPL. So we have decided to act on it.”

Babalola added that
the wave of fines and suspensions in the Nigerian topflight is to
ensure that all actors in the championship keep to the rules guiding
the Premier League. “NPL will remain steadfast in sanitising the league
of any unprofessional conduct on and off the pitch at regular
interval,” said Babalola. With this suspension, Akpan will now miss
Heartland’s next match against Zamfara United, expected to hold this
weekend in Calabar. He is the second player to be slammed with such
charge this week after Enyimba’s Austin Kadiri suffered a similar fate
for punching an opponent in last Sunday’s game against Warri Wolves.

Sunshine appeals

In another
development, Sunshine Stars have declared that they will challenge the
punishment slammed on them by the NPL earlier this week. The parent
body of the Premier League side, the Ondo State Football Academy, in a
statement said it will challenge the charge of playing their next two
games behind closed doors by the NPL since Sunshine Stars were not
allowed to defend themselves. The football agency said, in a statement,
that they believe there are forces trying to plot the fall of Sunshine
Stars this season. “We are not afraid of playing anywhere but we are
going to appeal this ban because it has justified insinuations that
some people are after the fall of Sunshine Stars. We are appealing so
that we can clear our name,” said the statement.

Sunshine Stars have
also alleged that the Protocol Officer of Heartland, Tonnex Chukwu, is
to blame for the trouble that erupted in the stands during last
Sunday’s game between Heartland and Sunshine Stars at the Gateway
International Stadium. “We got privileged information that Chukwu
planned to cause trouble and we were not surprised when he sat among
the spectators and started inciting the fans,” stated the club. “Apart
from the argument in the stands between Chukwu and the fans, no
official of Heartland was harassed. It was a pre-meditated plan to
cause trouble because Chukwu is known for that. We are advising the NPL
to watch him closely. He did the same to Lobi Stars when Heartland
played them in Aba and got away. He has done it with us and got away.”

Sunshine Stars are also requesting that the Premier League watch the
video of the match in order to determine if the second goal scored by
Sunshine Stars should have stood or not. “A shot was played from
outside the 18-yard box and the Heartland keeper parried it for our
player to slot in for the goal. I wonder if they know the rules at
all,” added the statement.