Heartland Abia Warriors Face Heavy Sanctions Over Unpaid Player Wages
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The Nigeria Football Federation NFF Disciplinary Committee is set to impose stiff penalties on Heartland FC and Abia Warriors FC for failing to honour financial settlements awarded to former players by the Players’ Status Arbitration Committee PSAC.
Heartland FC defaulted on a structured payment agreement reached on October 14, 2024, with players Chukwude Stephen, Momoh Peter, Itodo Ocheme, Aputazie Leonard, and Ezekiel Bassey. The club was required to begin monthly instalments from November 2024 but has allegedly made no payments to date. The outstanding sum now stands at ₦23 million.
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Similarly, Abia Warriors are under scrutiny for failing to complete payments totalling ₦12 million to players Alegbe Victor, Ikedinachi Nwakanma, and Obinna Julius, represented by Myron Top Class Sports Outfit. Despite an initial ₦6 million payment, the club has failed to clear the balance and ceased further communication.
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Both sets of players have now appealed to the NFF Disciplinary Committee for enforcement action, which could include fines, interest payments, and potential competition sanctions, as stipulated under Article 21 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.
Editorial
This isn’t just a financial issue it’s a credibility crisis for Nigerian football. Clubs like Heartland and Abia Warriors, with storied histories and loyal fanbases, cannot afford to erode trust by failing to meet their obligations to players. It’s unjust, it’s unsustainable, and it’s unacceptable.
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Players are not commodities they’re professionals whose careers are short and physically demanding. When clubs fail to pay wages already agreed upon in legal settlements, they not only damage reputations but also destroy livelihoods.
Let’s be clear this isn’t about financial hardship alone it’s about priorities. If a club can’t honour its most basic responsibility to pay its players, then it should not be participating at the top level. The NFF must do more than issue warnings. It must enforce sanctions that send a message across all tiers of Nigerian football: contractual obligations are sacred.
We must stop normalising debt as part of football culture in Nigeria. Until there is full transparency, enforceable contracts, and swift accountability, players will continue to suffer and the league will never reach its true potential.
Did You Know?
The FIFA Disciplinary Code allows national federations to enforce fines, interest penalties (up to 18% annually), and competition bans on clubs that fail to honour arbitration decisions.
The Players’ Status Arbitration Committee (PSAC) is Nigeria’s designated body for resolving contract and compensation disputes between players and clubs.
Heartland FC were NPFL champions in 1993 and have reached the CAF Champions League final in 2009.
Abia Warriors gained NPFL promotion in 2013 and have since become a mainstay in the top tier.
FIFA’s global legal framework mandates that players’ contracts must be honoured, regardless of a club's financial position. to do so can result in international sanctions.