The Nationwide League One has suspended Green Beret FC for two seasons, fined the club N1.5 million and ordered it to identify the individual accused of stabbing a referee following violent scenes after a match against Zamfara United.
The management of the Nationwide League One (NLO) has handed Green Beret FC of Zaria a two-season suspension and imposed a series of sanctions following the violent assault on match officials after their league fixture against Zamfara United in Katsina.
The incident occurred on Friday at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium, where Green Beret suffered a 2-0 defeat to Zamfara United courtesy of two late goals. However, the result was overshadowed by shocking scenes of violence that left one referee bloodied and requiring medical attention.
Match Official bleeding after being stabbed in the head. Photocredit: Media team
Videos that circulated on social media after the match showed match officials scrambling for safety as they were chased and attacked by angry individuals allegedly linked to Green Beret FC. One official was seen receiving treatment for facial injuries, while reports claimed a referee was stabbed during the chaos.
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In a strongly worded letter dated June 5, 2026, addressed to the Kaduna State Football Association, the NLO described the incident as a serious stain on the integrity of Nigerian football.
“It was with deep distress that we learned about the assault on the match officials, particularly witnessing the referee being left in a pool of his own blood,” NLO Chief Operating Officer, Dr Olushola Ogunnowo, stated.
“This level of violence is not only unacceptable but also tarnishes the integrity of our beautiful game of football.”
The league body further noted that the incident was not an isolated case, pointing out that similar disciplinary concerns had arisen from Green Beret matches in the previous season.
“Unfortunately, this is not the first time we have had to address violence stemming from your matches, as a similar occurrence took place in the previous season,” the letter added.
The Nationwide League One has suspended Green Beret FC for two seasons, fined the club N1.5 million and ordered it to identify the individual accused of stabbing a referee following violent scenes after a match against Zamfara United.
Following its investigation, the league ruled that Zamfara United’s 2-0 victory would be upgraded to a 3-0 win, while Green Beret FC and all its officials were suspended from participating in Nationwide League One activities for the next two seasons.
In addition, the club was fined N1 million for violent conduct and ordered to pay N500,000 as compensation to the injured referees. The payments must be made within seven days.
Perhaps the most severe directive issued by the NLO was the order for Green Beret FC to identify and present the individual accused of stabbing the referee.
“The Green Beret FC must provide their personnel that knifed the referee within the next 48 hours,” the letter stated.
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The sanctions is one of the strongest disciplinary actions taken by the Nationwide League One in recent years against a growing concern over the safety of match officials across Nigerian football.
