Enyimba goalkeeper, Fatau Dauda, will be fined despite apologising for his sending-off in Sunday’s goalless draw against Akwa United in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), the club chairman Anyansi Agwu has stated.
The Ghana international, who has been impressive this season, was sent off for violent conduct off-the-ball in the 41st minute of the encounter.
“We are going to make a statement to serve as a deterrent, because Dauda acted alone. Such anger is not part of football. I condemn it totally,” Enyimba chairman, Anyansi Agwu told the People’s Elephant’s official website.
“You have sent an apology. I feel you, you recognize it was a very terrible mistake. Nobody in football is perfect, so don’t feel like you put the rest of the team in trouble. Maybe we would have won, maybe. But that’s football: you either win, lose or draw.
“However, we will have to fine you, so that you too can feel it. Because we want you to always act professionally.”
Dauda had earlier admitted that his expulsion was the turning point in the game and cost the two-time African champions all three points.
“It’s very unfortunate that happened,” he told Enyimba’s official website.
“Who knows, we should have won the game if we had been 11 players on the field. The only thing I can do now is to ask the forgiveness of the fans, and of the whole team. This will not happen again.”
Meanwhile, club chairman, Agwu, also enjoined the team to put aside the disappointment of the draw, as attention immediately turns to the CAF Confederation Cup Group C opener against Djoliba on Sunday.
He said: “Every team is now looking up to you, because of your qualification for the group stage as the only Nigerian team. There is no excuse we can give.
“This is a major match. If we don’t start well, with three points, we might not get where we want to be. Let us prepare in such a way that we won’t let anyone down, so that they will be proud of you.
“Let us redeem our image, and make progress in what we want to do. If the draw has given us an opportunity, we must utilize it.”
The draw leaves Enyimba at 8th position on 27 points. A win would have pushed the People’s Elephant up to 3rd with a game in hand behind Lobi Stars and Niger Tornadoes.
