“It is crucial that we emphasise the importance of respecting match officials.”
This was the message from Nadi Football Association president Mohammed Mohin Rafiq following the verbal attack on the match officials in Nadi’s 0-2 defeat against Ba in the Digicel Fiji Premier League (DFPL) round seven clash at Prince Charles Park in Nadi on Sunday.
A lot of Nadi fans have expressed disappointment on social media after a second-half goal by Nadi defender Ame Votoniu was ruled off side by match officials at a time when the Men-in-Black was leading 1-0.
“While we deeply appreciate your passion and support for our team during matches, especially in the game against Ba yesterday (Sunday), it is crucial that we emphasise the importance of respecting match officials,” said Rafiq.
He said match officials played a pivotal role in ensuring fairness and integrity of the game we all love.
“We understand that emotions run high during intense moments, but any form of disrespect or hostility towards the match officials is unacceptable and tarnishes the spirit of football.
“Such behaviour not only reflects poorly on our association but also undermines the overall experience for everyone involved.” Rafiq urged all the Nadi fans to uphold the highest standards of sportsmanship and conduct themselves with respect towards match officials at all times.
Meanwhile, following the incident, Fiji Football CEO Mohammed Yusuf told this newspaper that they would await the match officials and referee assessor’s report.
“Punishment can be severe and if it’s worse, Nadi can lose hosting future matches,” said Yusuf.
After the final whistle blew, a frustrated group of Nadi fans verbally confronted the match officials which led to the police escorting the officials from the ground.
