Concerns over possible match manipulation have surfaced at the Ijebu-Ode Centre of the ongoing Nationwide League One (NLO) Promotion Playoffs, casting a shadow over what should be a climactic final round of fixtures on Tuesday.
As four clubs vie for a single promotion slot to the Nigeria National League (NNL), allegations of inducement, suspicious officiating, and potential collusion have raised red flags among key football stakeholders and observers.
A member of the Nigeria Football & Other Sports Interest Group, speaking anonymously for security reasons, claimed that referees officiating in the Ijebu-Ode playoffs have allegedly turned the promotion battle into a “money-making venture”.
“I can confirm that match officials have turned the playoffs here in Ijebu-Ode into a money-making scheme,” the source alleged. “It’s been reported that money exchanged hands between members of the Ogun State Referees Council and a team from Lagos State.”
This is not the first time these concerns have been voiced. The same source pointed to similar allegations involving one of the teams during the regular season, raising deeper questions about league-wide integrity.
After two rounds of games in the round-robin format, the promotion race is finely poised:
• Magic Stars FC – 4 points (+1 goal difference)
• Ikorodu City FC – 4 points (0 goal difference)
• Lekki United – 3 points
• Franceex United – 0 points
⚽ Final Day Fixtures (Tuesday – Otunba Dipo Dina Stadium, Ijebu-Ode)
• Magic Stars FC vs Lekki United – Main Bowl
• Ikorodu City FC vs Franceex United – Practice Pitch A
Both matches will be played simultaneously, a move designed to maintain fairness. However, the credibility of outcomes is now under scrutiny.
Tensions are further compounded by the presence of Franceex United, a club currently under investigation by the NFF Integrity Unit following a suspicious 9–0 victory over Bison FC in the regular season. The result raised eyebrows, triggering a probe.
Initially expelled by the NLO, Franceex were controversially reinstated as Maracana Centre champions by the NFF Appeals Committee, a decision that still divides opinion.
The Scenarios
• Magic Stars FC will secure promotion with a win, unless Ikorodu City records a large-margin win that tilts the goal difference in their favour.
• If Magic Stars slip, and Ikorodu City defeat Franceex United convincingly, the Lagos side could snatch the ticket.
Given the high stakes, football stakeholders and fans alike are urging the NLO Secretariat to act swiftly and decisively.
“The final day is too critical to allow any manipulation,” the anonymous source stressed. “The NLO must monitor proceedings closely and impose the strictest sanctions on anyone compromising the integrity of the game, regardless of their role or status.”
With promotion, reputations, and league integrity on the line, all eyes are now on Ijebu-Ode. How the NLO handles these final games could either reinforce or damage trust in Nigeria’s football development pathway.
