THE game between Rangers and Enyimba was abandoned on Sunday following a late penalty call in favour of the latter – Flying Antelopes – in a Week 35 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) match.
The game tagged the Oriental Derby between the two South-East giants was a title decider with Rangers topping the league standings (60 points) and Enyimba trailing them by two points.
Fans had trooped out en masse for the fiercely contested encounter and all was going well. However, with the game tied goalless, the referee pointed to the spot late in the game, awarding Rangers a penalty.
That decision did not go well with Enyimba players who protested the decision. While efforts were made to resume play, the game turned chaotic when some fans invaded the pitch, disrupting the highly-anticipated match.
“Rangers 0-0 Enyimba #RANENY #NPFL24 #TheFinalStretch,” the NPFL wrote on its X platform. “Match interrupted after penalty awarded to Rangers in added time.”
The referee awarded a late penalty to Rangers and Enyimba players abandoned the match and left the pitch.
As of the time of filing this report, the league body has yet to make comments about the match and the next steps.
