Why FIFA’s hammer fell on Katsina United

As you read this piece, the world football governing body FIFA has banned Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) side, Katsina United from registering new players for at least three transfer windows. The punishment according to FIFA commenced on June 12, 2024.

Except for those who are not conversant with the club’s recent battles with coaches and players over contractual agreements, the punishment from FIFA is not coming as a surprise. Katsina United are becoming notorious for unlawful termination of players and coaches’ contracts.

Consequently, when the Players Status Committee of the NFF met to adjudicate on cases, Katsina United featured prominently because there is no hiding place for a goldfish.

Even before Katsina United’s former coaches, Usman Abdallah and Tony Bolus dragged the club to the Players’ Status Committee, a former player of the club from Niger Republic had dragged them to FIFA to seek redress for non-payment of his salaries.

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Apart from the coaches, other players recruited by one of the club’s former coaches, Abubakar Bala, also dragged the management of Katsina United to the NFF to challenge their over unlawful termination and non-payment of their entitlements.

So, in almost all the cases that were brought before the authorities, Katsina United were found guilty and ordered to settle the aggrieved parties. Consequently, they have agreed to make monthly payments to their former employers till the debts are fully settled.

A few days after the news of their ban by FIFA went viral, a statement purportedly issued by the Media Officer of Katsina United, Nasir Gide, attempted to exonerate the present management of any wrongdoing.

On one hand, the club denied it had not received any official communication from FIFA and on the other, they confirmed that the letter from the world football government body conveying the ban was sent to a former member of the management committee.

The statement also said the management had amicably resolved its issue with the foreign player who had taken the club to FIFA. But in all other allegations, the club refused to admit guilt.

Katsina United also denied knowledge of the report that they are sacking players via phone calls. The club argued that it has standard procedures and adheres strictly to contractual and legal requirements. 

Instead, the club is saying that most of the infringements were committed by the past management so the present committee is not culpable. But they seem to forget that government is a continuum.

Once you take over, you automatically inherit the assets and liabilities of such an organisation. Therefore the narrative by the management of Katsina United that it is not responsible for the mess created by its predecessors is neither here nor there.

Well, right now, Katsina United are in a dilemma because the ban from FIFA has forced them to keep all available players including those whose contracts they had verbally terminated. Unfortunately, most of the players are not willing to go back to the same club that had declared them surplus to requirement.

Katsina United are no doubt in deep trouble. They are now running from pillar to post because those who are managing the club appear to be lacking in the the knowledge of football administration. As a matter of fact, for the club to be banned by FIFA, it means the breaches have become too many and too obvious to be ignored.

However, it must be said that these offences are not peculiar to Katsina United. Almost all the government owned clubs are guilty of not respecting contracts with players. This is the case because most of the clubs are administered by cronies of the governors who know next to nothing about football administration. Therefore, they are prone to committing blunders that are usually ridiculous and embarrassing.

It is, therefore, surprising that Katsina United is the only club in the NPFL that has made the ignominious list of African clubs that have been banned by FIFA. Almost all the clubs in the NPFL are as guilty as Katsina United when it comes to non-adherence to contractual agreements.

Therefore, my verdict is that if the state governors are truly interested in the progress of the clubs, they must appoint people with track records in football administration to manage the clubs.

There should be no place for sentiments in making such appointments because public funds are involved. The governors should also insist on prudent utilisation of the allocations to the clubs. However, it is said that some of the governors also use the NPFL clubs as conduit pipes to siphon public funds.

Well, the present management of Katsina United has said it is trying its best to cleanse the mess left behind by its predecessors but while doing so, it must not attempt to sweep the truth under the carpet. Some of the allegations the management is denying vehemently may not be unfounded. Moreover, there can’t be smoke without fire.

Most of those who are accusing the club of unlawful termination and non-payment of salaries said they have verifiable evidence to back up their claims. Therefore, the management should tread cautiously to avoid bad publicity that will further damage the image of the club. The ban from FIFA is already a sad commentary on Katsina United.