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Kunle Soname, the proprietor of Nigeria Premier Football League club Remo Stars and sports betting platform Bet9ja, is urging football authorities to overhaul match officiating, warning that repeated errors are draining confidence in the domestic game. He said the league cannot court sponsors while fans question whether results are earned fairly.
Soname spoke at a news conference in Ikenne, Ogun State, saying refereeing controversies have become routine and the response has been too soft. He called for transparent monitoring, stronger training and clear consequences for officials who repeatedly perform poorly.
“I am not here today as the owner of a club, but as a stakeholder deeply invested in the credibility and future of our game,” he said. “Nigerian football is bigger than all of us.”
Debate over penalties, fouls and shifting interpretations of the laws has followed the NPFL through title races and relegation scraps, fueling suspicion among clubs and supporters.
At the center of Soname’s proposals is a call for the Nigeria Football Federation to create an independent review panel that grades referees every week. He said the panel should watch the full 90 minutes of each match, document key decisions and publish assessments using clear criteria.
He wants top officials recognized and rewarded, arguing that incentives can sharpen focus. Soname also pushed for consistent live television coverage, saying cameras widen scrutiny from fans and analysts and can lift the league’s commercial value.
Soname said administrators should welcome oversight from law enforcement and anti corruption agencies, including the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. He said scrutiny would deter malpractice and signal that football is not outside national accountability standards.
He tied the issue to Nigeria’s fading profile in elite refereeing, noting that no Nigerian has officiated at the Africa Cup of Nations in 17 years. He said domestic standards must rise through improved training, regular evaluation and discipline that is applied without excuses.
Soname said he has compiled video clips of at least five recent incidents he believes changed results and shared them with the NFF and NPFL. He cited two penalties not awarded in one Remo Stars match, a foul ignored before an opposing goal, and a Rangers International goal against Rivers United that he said was wrongly disallowed. He said the examples show a league wide problem, not a complaint aimed at one club across the league.
Soname founded Bet9ja in 2013, building one of Africa’s biggest sports betting platforms. He also owns domestic airline ValueJet, holds interests in Portuguese club Clube Desportivo Feirense, and has investments tied to Ceramco Trading Limited, Optimus Bank, BLFA Hotel, Kuker Holdings and Kuker Farms and Processing Ltd.
