NAN-S-18
Technology
By Stanley Nwanosike
Enugu, July 10, 2017 (NAN) A National Football Referee, Emmanuel Adindu, has urged the League Management Company (LMC) of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) to introduce goal-line technology to help referees make the right decisions on the field of play.
Adindu, a Grade 1 Referee, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Enugu.
Cue in audio (Adindu)
“It is a new idea. I don’t know when Nigeria (LMC) will embrace it. It is a very good idea.
“Like the match I watched last weekend in Ijebu Ode; if there was a goal technology I think everybody could have seen it live.
“It was a mystery goal if there was such a technology nobody would doubt the credibility of the goal.
“So, it is a welcomed idea. It is development in football.
“It will not take away anything from them (referees).
“It will encourage them (referees) to do more, to be sincere, because many of the referees are not sincere.’’
Cue out audio
Adindu, who is also a Deputy Superintendent of Police, urged the LMC, NFF (Nigeria Football Federation) and other football bodies in the country to continue to meet the dynamism in sports be introducing better innovations.
“Football is dynamic, and the administrators must live-up to the
reality of the game,’’ he added.
Goal-line Technology is an electronic devices used to determine when the ball has completely crossed the goal-line in between the goal-posts and underneath the crossbar.
The technology assists referees in making decisions on the field of play.
NAN reports that the aim of the goal-line technology is not to replace the role of the officials, but rather to support them in decision-making.
It was officially approved in July 2012 by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) under FIFA.
Due to its expense, goal-line technology is only used at the very
highest levels of the game.
Goal-line technology is currently used in the top European domestic leagues, and at major international competitions such as the 2014 Men’s and 2015 Women’s FIFA World Cups.
It was recently used at the just-concluded 10th FIFA-organized Confederations Cup in Russia. (NAN)
KSN/LAB/YEE
=========
Edited by Lydia Beshel/Emmanuel Yashim