The
2019 Serekunda East Sports Development Organisation (SESDO) Nawettan knockout
tournament final between Bantaba FC and Uprising FC was forced into a premature
end following Bantaba FC defender Ablie Sanneh’s attack on the central referee
for awarding a penalty to Uprising.
The
game which ended in the dying minutes was played at the Serekunda East Park on
Saturday.
The
violence started after the referee awarded a penalty to Uprising following a
handball by the Bantaba defender in the last minutes of the regulation time
when the match was 1-1.
Defender
Ablie Sanneh attacked the referee and push him for awarding the penalty to
Uprising and said openly that there was not going to be a penalty kick. He took
the ball and kick it out of the pitch.
He
also attacked the referee, but PIU officials came to his rescue as some of the
Bantaba fans started throwing stones at the referee and the PIU officials.
Bantaba
first scored in the early 4th minute of the first half through Richard Dekey,
while Uprising equalised through Omar Marong in the 53rd minute of the second
half.
Uprising,
who dominated most of the game, were playing with their lives after they were
relegated in the Nawettan proper, knowing that winning the Knockout trophy will
retain them in the next season
SESDO
spokesperson expressed disappointment with the manner Bantaba and their fans
reacted on Saturday, noting that this kind of behavior is totally uncalled for.
“We
are disappointed in the manner the game ended because Bantaba FC is a senior
team in the Serekunda East Nawettan tournament and such behavior is not
expected from their fans, official and players,” he said.
He
said as a committee, they will critically analyze what happened before coming
with their judgement.
“We
were all present during the incident and honestly, I can tell you that it is
not going to look good for Banatba FC on the decision the committee will take,”
he said.
