Sharks protest FA Cup shame in Benin

The match lasted less than 30 minutes and in that period two red card and two yellow cards were shown to sharks players while there were fourteen infringements against Sharks and none called against Insurance.

The goal scored in the 4th minute was also suspect because five Insurance players were clearly off side.

Sharks eventually abandoned the match when a penalty was called against them.

Former Enyimba Coach, KAdiri Ikhana was at the Samuel Ogbenudia Stadium and after the match he told nigeriasports.com  that what he saw was magic and not football.

“I should not have spent my time and money coming to this place because there was no football played today,” Ikhana said after the match.

Ikhana said the NFA should call for a replay of the match since that was the only way credibility could return to the Association.

Brown Ebewele, Edo State Director of Sports told nigeriasports.com that the referee was in a haste to do the bidding of his pay masters.

"I think after the first yellow card and goal, the man should have been a been soft on the sharks team."

Sharks Team Manager, Sunny Iseokweima described the match as a sell out with the center referee playing out a script written out for him by the Insurance management.

"You saw it that he was just playing out a script written for him by the Edo State Government and Insurance management while the NFA turned a blind eye because they want to compensate Edo State who are hosting the final."

"Remember, we went through the same thing in the semi final last year when we played against Kano Pillar in Jos. We were beaten up black and blue by the Pillars fans who wanted their team in the final which they were hosting by all means, while the NFA just looked the other way." ISeokweima said.

"We are asking the NFA to show the less than twenty minutes of the match which was played to the whole country to watch and see for themselves if that was a football match we played."

Barrister Chris Green, a former Sharks board member said the notable thing for the sponsors, Coca Cola to do was ask for a replay of the match so their name is not dragged to the mud.

"As far as I am concerned, if Coca Cola allows this thing to go just like that then they would be ranked on the same level with the NFa which will be bad for their image. They should do the right thing now and call for that match to be replayed."

The statement coming out of Sharks is clear as they have simply said no match was played in Benin.

They insist that the NFA reschedules and allow them play against Insurance under free and fair conditions.

The Nigeria Football Association, the Nigeria Referees Association and Coca Cola will have to act fast or go down in history as the generation that allowed Nigerian football to sink to its deepest level.