The Enugu Rangers Versus Enyimba game was abandoned following a late penalty call in favor of the Home Team during Week 35 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) match on Sunday evening.
The match, dubbed the Oriental Derby, was a title decider with Rangers leading the league standings with 60 points and Enyimba trailing by two points.
Fans turned out in large numbers for the fiercely contested encounter, which remained goalless until the referee awarded a late penalty to Rangers.
The decision sparked protests from Enyimba players. Efforts to resume play failed as the situation escalated, with fans invading the pitch and disrupting the highly-anticipated match.
The NPFL confirmed the incident on its X platform: “Rangers 0-0 Enyimba #RANENY #NPFL24 #TheFinalStretch. Match interrupted after penalty awarded to Rangers in added time.”
The chaotic scenes at the Cathedral were unfortunate for a match of such importance. The referee’s decision to award the penalty led to Enyimba players leaving the pitch and fans storming the field, rendering the game inconclusive.
As of now, the league body has not commented on the match or the next steps.
