The Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) Players’ Status and Arbitration Committee (PSAC) has issued a stern warning to clubs indebted to players and coaches, reaffirming that no waivers will be granted ahead of the 2025/2026 CAF Confederation Cup season.
The committee emphasized that any club found guilty of defaulting on contractual obligations will face the full weight of sanctions including a ban on both incoming and outgoing player transfers until such debts are fully cleared.
Among the affected clubs are Kwara United and Abia Warriors, Nigeria’s two representatives in the upcoming CAF Confederation Cup.
According to reliable sources, both teams have been placed under a transfer embargo due to unresolved financial obligations to former players and coaching staff.
“I can confirm to you that Abia Warriors and Kwara United will be turned back by the NFF Club Licensing Officer, who is responsible for uploading players’ registration on the CAF portal,” a source familiar with the situation told our correspondent.
“Unless they settle their debts, they will not be cleared to participate.”
The source further revealed that the transfer ban, as ruled by the PSAC, will be strictly enforced by the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Nigeria National League (NNL), and other domestic league bodies.
“There will likely be no waivers like last season,” the source said. “Some of the clubs that benefited from waivers still ended up breaching contract agreements, which has only worsened the situation.”
As per CAF’s club licensing regulations, clearing all outstanding debts is a critical requirement.
The deadline for meeting these conditions is July 31, 2025. Failure to comply could result in outright disqualification from the continental competition.
Both Kwara United and Abia Warriors are now in a race against time, with mounting pressure to resolve their financial liabilities or risk losing their spots in Africa’s second-tier club tournament.
This development has sent shockwaves across the NPFL, with at least 10 clubs reportedly under scrutiny for similar breaches.
