1 GAME founder blames football violence on Nigerian clubs

1 GAME founder Philip Obaji says football clubs in Nigeria are responsible for the increasing cases of violence in the country and wants authorities concerned to increase punishment to clubs whose supporters jeopardize the image of the game.

Obaji was speaking in Calabar at the weekend when sports journalists from the Cross River Broadcasting Corporation paid him a visit at the 1 GAME campaign office. He said football clubs and constituted authorities have done very little in fighting violence in the game.

“The blame has to go to the clubs. They know those behind match violence. Some of those behind these acts are registered club supporters. Sometimes these hoodlums are sponsored by clubs to commit the atrocities they carry out. It’s a big shame.

“We saw what happened in Enugu when Heartland played Enyimba, those Heartland supporters that attacked the referee wore the club shirt. It is not possible that the club does not know who these supporters are. They sure do.

“My worry is that the authorities concerned are doing little to fight this. The penalty is weak for offending clubs. I sometimes laugh at it. Our football is losing glamour by the day because violence and poor officiating has taken over.”

Obaji’s 1 GAME campaign is at the forefront of the fight against violence and fanaticism in football.