There was confusion that later led to suspension of the Oriental derby between hosts Enugu Rangers and defending champions, Enyimba of Aba at the Cathedral on Sunday.
The center referee had to suspend the match following crowd invasion of the pitch in protest against a penalty awarded to the home side towards the tail end of the thrilling encounter.
The title decider clash was a good advertisement for the domestic league as the Enugu stadium was filled to capacity.
Rangers seized momentum from the blast of kickoff, looking more adventurous but visiting Enyimba were equal to the task as they thawed their chances for an early goal.
Enyimba goalkeeper, Ani Ozoemena was called to action first in the 10th minute and then in the 20th minute when Chiedizie’s long strike hit the bar for a goal kick.
With no goal at the end of the first stanza, Enyimba FC looked more adventurous mid-way into the second half with the duo of Chibuike Nwaiwu and Imo Obot putting the pressure on the home side but it resulted in no goal.
However, the host took over the last quarter of the match looking for a daring side until the late seconds of the match when the referee awarded a penalty following a foul on the Rangers’ forward.
The Oriental derby was going to end in a thrilling goalless draw before the center referee spotted an infringement inside the Enyimba box 18 for a late minute penalty.
However, the Enyimba players kicked against it and subsequently led to pitch invasion from fans of both sides.
The match was held up for some minutes following the invasion by the supporters of the visiting team and with no sign of a restart the referee had no choice but to call off the match.
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