The league says Jeffrey Buter admitted his mistake, and it took his limited experience into account when setting the penalty.
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The fine and the deadline
Sporting Lagos head coach Jeffrey Buter has been fined N500,000 by the Nigeria Premier Football League over comments he made after the Lagos derby against Ikorodu City. The league said Buter admitted he erred in his post-match interview, where he spoke about the officiating. FootballInNigeria.com.ng reports that he has seven working days to pay.
Failure to pay could bring further sanctions. The NPFL also considered the young coach’s limited experience in the league when it set the penalty.
Buter was invited to Abuja on Wednesday to explain his comments to a league panel. The NPFL has warned coaches and club officials against reckless or inflammatory statements and urged them to send complaints through official channels.
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What happened after the derby
The derby ended 0-0 at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena on September 30, in a fixture postponed from September 6 for a political rally at the venue. Buter was unhappy with the officiating afterward.
He said he would not speak about the referee, but that the referees association and the league board “know what they are doing”. The NPFL said it had invited him to substantiate allegations of collusion and asked him to bring evidence to the panel.
It was not the first time Buter had criticised referees. He had earlier called the officiating in a 1-1 draw with Barau FC the poorest he had seen this season, and he confirmed that the league had already warned him.
The sanction ends a tense week for Sporting Lagos. Fans keen on the NPFL can read the Bet9ja promotion code guide before the next round.
Sporting Lagos on the pitch
Sporting Lagos are newly promoted after topping Southern Conference B last season. Guardian Nigeria reported that they extended their unbeaten run to four games with a 1-1 draw away at Kano Pillars.
The Mobolaji Johnson Arena is shared by three top-flight clubs, so Lagos fixtures can be tight and tense. Can Buter keep his focus on results from here?
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The next round of games gives Buter a chance to let his team do the talking.
📌 Did You Know?
- Sporting Lagos were founded in 2022 and played their first match on February 13, 2022.
- They beat Remo Stars twice in the Naija Super 8 pre-season tournament, including in the final.
- Their Lagos derby rivals are Inter Lagos and Ikorodu City.
- The Mobolaji Johnson Arena is Lagos’s only NPFL-approved venue.
- Sporting Lagos’s away kit is all yellow.
