In a dramatic escalation of a long-running contractual dispute, former Rivers United FC player Deputy Echeta has filed a case with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland, challenging what he describes as the “illegal reversal” of a prior ruling by the Nigeria Football Federation’s Players Status and Arbitration Committee (NFF PSAC), Sports247 reports.
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The case is officially registered as CAS 2025/A/11424 Echeta Deputy Ugonna v. Rivers United FC & Nigeria Football Federation.
We exclusively gathered, that the parties involved received a notification from CAS on Tuesday May 20 2025.
The case centers around the NFF PSAC’s decision to overturn its own binding judgment in favor of Rivers United, months after initially delivering a judgement in favour of Echeta in a high-profile employment dispute.
NFF-PSAC Reversal Which Sparks Controversy
The original ruling, delivered on December 2, 2024, had found Rivers United guilty of multiple violations of the player’s contract and FIFA regulations, including:
Illegal Suspension: The club indefinitely suspended Echeta, violating labour laws of maximum 30-days suspension limit pending investigations.
Non-Payment of Wages: Echeta went unpaid for over four months, qualifying as “just cause” for contract termination under Article 14bis of the FIFA RSTP.
Unreasonable Transfer Fees Demand: Rivers United allegedly blocked a loan move to Sunshine Stars by demanding a N15 million fee, despite a N1 million offer by Sunshine Stars FC.
Unlawful Termination: Though entitled to compensation under Article 17bis, the NFF PSAC didn’t order Rivers United FC to pay Echeta the compensation he was entitled to.
Provisional Clearance: PSAC granted Echeta immediate clearance to sign for any club of his choice.
Bad Faith: The committee rebuked Rivers United for actions detrimental to the player’s professional and economic future.
However, in a surprise decision on March 1, 2025—disclosed publicly only in late April—the NFF PSAC convened a new hearing, excluding Echeta and inviting only Rivers United. The outcome stunned observers:
Revoked Clearance: The committee revoked Echeta’s provisional clearance, alleging misuse to facilitate an unauthorized international transfer.
Mandatory Reconciliation: Echeta was ordered to return to Rivers United to negotiate a mutual contract termination.
Financial Sanctions: He was fined N5 million for alleged “gross misconduct to be paid to Rivers United” and another N1 million to the NFF for a “breach of trust.”
Legal and football stakeholders have described the reversal as “unprecedented” and “procedurally flawed,” pointing out that arbitration bodies like PSAC do not have the jurisdiction to review their own rulings, an authority typically reserved for a higher appellate body.
Echeta’s legal team is asking CAS to:
1. Annul the second ruling, citing procedural irregularity and lack of jurisdiction.
2. Uphold and enforce the original judgment from 2nd December 2024.
3. Rule on the substance of the dispute and award compensation against Rivers United to be paid to Echeta for the breach of contract.
Speaking through his representatives, Echeta said, “This isn’t just about me. It’s about the integrity of arbitration in Nigerian football. If decisions can be reversed in secret without due process, then no player is safe and contractual stability is not guaranteed in the domestic leagues.”
The case now heads to CAS, which will determine whether the NFF PSAC acted within its powers and if the initial ruling should be reinstated.
