PLATEAU UNITED PLAYER ATTACK

Plateau United forward, Vincent Temitope, was attacked by an irate knife-wielding fan on Sunday after their Nigeria Premier Football League match-day 33 defeat against Nasarawa United in Lafia.

Nasarawa United had won the nail-biting encounter 3-2 against their North Central neighbours before a video of the player being treated for a cut around his neck surfaced.Vincent missed a penalty and also scored a goal during the encounter.A Jos-based on-air personality with Jay FM, Rhairom Zamora, was the first to share the disturbing video, claiming that the attack was from the home fans.

“Disturbing scenes after the match in Lafia. Vincent Temitope was reportedly injured by Nasarawa United fans after the game.“Absolutely unacceptable, player safety must be a priority. We await official statements from the clubs and the league,” she posted via X.“Another video has surfaced, an eyewitness speaking in Hausa said Nasarawa United fans allegedly attempted to kill Vincent Temitope with a knife,” she said in another post.

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Both clubs and the league body were yet to release a statement about the incident at the time of filing this report.The intense match saw Nasarawa United take the lead inside 22 minutes through the league’s leading goalscorer, Anas Yusuf, after being found through by Abubakar Aliyu, for his 15th goal of the campaign.

The hosts were 2-0 up nine minutes into the restart through Ugochukwu Leonard after he deflected Yusuf’s left-footed effort into the back of the net.Plateau United reduced the deficit through a solo effort by Vincent in the 58th minute, but they fell behind further after Aliyu Abubakar’s free-kick got parried onto the path of Leonard, who calmly gave the hosts a two-goal cushion in the 74th minute.

Plateau United were awarded a penalty in stoppage time, but Vincent saw his spot kick saved by goalkeeper Detan Ogundare but there was still more time for Samuel Pam to make the scoreline 3-2.

Both teams are level on points in the league (42) after the game, with Plateau (13th) sitting a place above their rivals Nasarawa United (14th) due to a superior goal difference with five games to go.rewrite for publication in today’s newspaper while retaining the format