By Ime Bassey
Heartland Football Club Technical adviser, Lodewijk De Kruif has urged the board of the Nigerian Premier League to charge its approach to referees management in the league.

De Kruif spoke to Inside Out Premier League at the team’s hotel in Ilorin after seeing his team narrowly working past league leaders, Dolphins of Port Harcourt by 0-1 in the quarter final of the Federation Cup.

“Officiating is not very good because the way Nigerian referees are being managed is not proper. Nigerian referees are very educated no doubt about it. They know how to officiate the game but the problem is coming from clubs. The issue of club sides taking care of referees is not proper because the possibility of them involving the officials is very high.

“The best way to solve it is to assign one or two persons with them from the NPL that will accompany them to the city and take care of everything that concerns them. This will allow for club officials to only see the referee at the commencement of the game in the stadium. I believe this will serve as a good step in cleaning Nigerian football,” de Kruif said.

We’ll fight to win the league – Ezuruike

Dolphins’ defender, Victor Ezuruike, has stated that the team’s defeat to Heartland of Owerri in the Federation Cup will propel them to fighting seriously for the League title.

Speaking to Inside Out Premier League at the Ilorin Township Stadium after his team lost to Heartland FC 0-1 in the quarter final of the country’s oldest club competition, the former Heartland player said his former employers have lost their best legs.

“In football, it is either you win or lose in a knock out fixture like this. We have put the loss behind us as we look ahead to earnest an fight to win the league,” he said.

Commenting on the strength of the Stanley Eguma led side, he said, “We have good coaches and players who are committed to the club. Also, the availability of the grace of God has been part of the reason we are together as a team,” Ezuruike said.

He stated that the present Heartland team which he once played for have lost their best legs due to the restructuring going on in the club. “The players that were in the team then were better than the ones present,” he added.