Gombe United FC has been fined N2,000,000 and ordered to complete their MatchDay 7 fixture against Jigawa Golden Stars FC under strict conditions due to crowd disturbances at Pantami Stadium.
The decision came after a disciplinary review of the abandoned encounter in the ongoing 2025/2026 Nigeria National League (NNL) season.
In an official statement, the NNL confirmed receipt of the match report for Match No. 72, played on 21 December 2025. The game was goalless at the end of regulation time, with five minutes added by the referee. Trouble began at 90+4 minutes when fans, supporters and officials of Gombe United encroached onto the pitch to protest a goal-kick decision.
The situation quickly degenerated into chaos, with the match officials reportedly harassed and intimidated. Under pressure, the referee rescinded his original decision and awarded a penalty kick to Gombe United. Despite this, persistent encroachment and intimidation forced the referee to abandon the match at approximately 90+24 minutes, with the scoreline still 0–0.
Following its investigation, the NNL established that there was clear pitch encroachment, harassment, and intimidation of match officials. The referee also confirmed that his decision had been altered under duress, while the prolonged disruption ultimately made it impossible for the game to continue safely.
Based on these findings, the league ruled that Gombe United breached Articles 16.1.1 and 16.4 of the NNL rules and regulations. As a result, the club was fined ₦2,000,000 for field invasion and sanctioned to complete the remaining one minute of stoppage time at the Jos Township Stadium on Friday, 16 January 2026. The fixture will be played behind closed doors under strict access conditions, with only approved security personnel, club officials, match officials, medical staff, media representatives, and accredited cameramen allowed.
The NNL further directed Gombe United to subsidize Jigawa Golden Stars’ transport and accommodation with ₦500,000, bringing the total financial obligation to ₦2,500,000, payable on or before 9 January 2026. Payment of the fine is a condition for the match completion, as failure to comply will result in the forfeiture of three points and three goals in favour of Jigawa Golden Stars. The league also gave Gombe United 24 hours to either accept the sanctions under summary jurisdiction or appeal the decision to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
