By Amaechi Agbo

Rivers United Football Club have rejected the 3rd place position it was placed by the League Management Company, LMC after the league organiser released the last table for the 2019/2020 Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL season, Bestchoicesports.com.ng can report.

In the final table released, the Port Harcourt based side were placed third on the log meaning they will represent Nigeria at the 2020/2021 CAF Confederation Cup.

The club in a release Saturday signed by its General Manager, Okey Kpalukwu emphatically rejected the table adding that the head-to-head rule adopted by the LMC to decide between Enyimba and Rivers United who came second, was wrong.

The club canvassed for the adoption of goal difference first before the application of head-to-rule.

Below is the full release as obtained by our correspondent.

Our attention has been drawn to a purported Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) table being circulated around the media space wherein Plateau United, Enyimba and Rivers United were placed first, second and third respectively.

According to the purported table, while Rivers United and Enyimba were tied on same number of points, a totally strange/ inconclusive head-to-head consideration affected by same force majuere was used to place Enyimba in the second position.

Nothing can be further from the truth; as such consideration can only exist in the imagination of those peddling the fake table.

For emphasis and to inform discerning members of the public, what is internationally known and even in the rule books of League Management Company (LMC) of Nigeria is that points are the first basis of separating teams, followed by goal difference before head to head.

The Points Per Game (PPG) model adopted by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and LMC is a straight forward co-efficient of dividing the total number of points with the total number of matches played as when the league was suspended in order to guarantee fairness to club that played less number of matches. With the application of PPG , all teams are now measured equally erasing the scenario of whether or not any club played higher number of matches than the other.

It also follows therefore that in separating the tie by goal difference, is to divide number of goals scored by number of matches played to arrive at a coefficient.

Based on the above, it is obvious that Rivers United is the second-placed team and no amount of false narratives will deceive those who should know.

We have already made our position known to the NFF and LMC and, we expect that justice will be served without fear or favour.

On a final note, we may be compelled to explore all legitimate means available, including formal petitions to FIFA, CAF, and CAS to ventilate our grievances and press for justice.

Sir Dr. Okey Kpalukwu
General Manager,
Rivers United FC