By Kunle Solaja.
Rivers State Sports Commissioner and ex–NFF Technical Committee Chairman, Chris Green, has raised serious concerns over the officiating in Rivers United’s 2–1 loss to Moroccan giants RS Berkane in Friday’s CAF Champions League Matchday 2 clash in Uyo.
Rivers United appeared to be cruising to victory after taking a 1–0 lead and holding firm deep into stoppage time.
But the match took a dramatic and chaotic turn right at the end of the initially announced seven minutes of added time.
On exactly the seventh minute of added time, RS Berkane’s Youness El Kaabi struck from a free kick to level the score, stunning the home crowd.
Barely two minutes later — with fans still reeling — Mounir Chouiar pounced on a rebound off the post and rolled the ball into an empty net to seal a shock 2–1 win for the Moroccan visitors.
For Rivers United, the collapse was as sudden as it was painful.
Green Questions Added Time, Accuses Referee of Poor Handling
Speaking in a telephone interview with Sports Village Square, Green expressed disbelief at the seven minutes of stoppage time awarded, insisting it did not reflect the actual delays in the second half.
“I don’t know where the referee got seven minutes from. The stoppages in the second half were nowhere near that,” he said.
Green also criticised Senegalese referee Issa Sy, accusing him of mishandling the game, pointing in particular to a disallowed first-half goal from a corner kick that had initially put Rivers United ahead.
The disallowed Rivers United goal in the first half.
While Rivers United now face an uphill task in their CAF Champions League campaign, Green’s allegations add yet another layer to the growing debate over officiating standards in CAF competitions.
As emotions run high in Port Harcourt, the club and its supporters will be looking for answers — and hoping Friday’s heartbreak does not derail their continental ambitions.
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