By: Gracious Akujobi The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Friday organized a one-day Match Commissioner seminar.
The event which took place at the National Institute for Sports (NIS) Package B stadium, Abuja was aimed at cautioning match commissioners as well as sensitizing them on latest trends in the game.
Director of Competition at the NFF, Mohammed Sanusi whose department is in charge of match commissioners told Prompt News Online that the essence of the seminar was to brain storm and look at what was done last year with a view to identifying possible areas of improvement.
“The essence of the seminar is to brain storm and look at what was done last year that was wrong, what was not done and what was done that was not right so that we can improve.
“We also realized that last year and year before last we saw reports from match commissioners that were contrary to what the referees reported and so one tends to wonder if it is the same match they attended.
“Also, there are situations where you will see a match commissioner scoring a referee five over five, at the end of the comment you will say there is need for improvement, the person whom you have scored excellent you say there is need for improvement”
“Of course, there are some that are very good, they give you report the way it is supposed to be and very excellent report, such people with this kind of gathering could impart knowledge to those who do not have the knowledge of match commissioning that is why it is more of interactive session”
Sanusi, says they also taught them new innovations, rules and regulations coming from FIFA so that they can be at par with their other colleagues all over the world.
Assessing the performances of the Match Commissioners last season, Sanusi says, “It is not only that the Match Commissioners have improved they have significantly improved”.
