The fledging career of a young Kano-born football player, Suleiman Yusuf Abdullahi, is under threat due to a protracted misunderstanding between two clubs that are claiming his ownership.
Proline FC Kano where he started his career as an amateur and Future Star also of Kano are at loggerheads over which club will receive the mandatory training compensation for Yusuf who is presently trying out with clubs in Europe courtesy of City FC Abuja.
Daily Trust gathered that Yusuf started out with Proline when the club was called Tukuntawa FC. Along the line, he left to join Geida FC without the consent of his former club.
The owner of Proline FC, Capt. Al-Mustapha Yunusa, then wrote a petition to the Kano Football Association against Geida FC on 29th September 2021 alleging illegal takeover of their player.
While issue was yet to be resolved, it was gathered that Geida FC released Yusuf to Future Star who in turn sent him to City FC Abuja where he gained the attention of foreign agents during a scouting tournament.
City FC then facilitated his trip to Europe for trials but while he was on the verge of signing a contract, the process was stalled because of the claims of Proline and Future Star.
Meanwhile, oblivious of the contentious issue between the two clubs, City FC is said to have entered into a verbal agreement to release the training compensation grant to Future Star FC.
'The problems started when he went for a scouting program without our approval. While trying to secure a deal in Europe for him, it was discovered that the transfer couldn't go through because he is still our player.
'The same Geida were responsible for entering into a deal with another club, Future Star FC, without completing his clearance with us,' said a Proline official.
However, in an interview with Kabir Haruna Mawutta, the proprietor of Geida FC, he said Yusuf has been under his care since he left Proline FC.
'We cared for him, and our goal has always been for him to succeed. He joined my club after some disagreements with Proline. I then officially released him on 1st July 2022 to Future Star FC when they showed interest in him.'
On his part, Abdul Rahman Umar Abdullahi, the proprietor of Capital City FC Abuja believes he followed due process in obtaining Yusuf's services, following an agreement with Future Star FC.
'Suleiman joined us after an agreement with Future Star FC was reached. I invested in his future and moved him to Denmark for trials, then to Malta,' he said.
'When we tried to get the ITC (International Transfer Certificate) for the player, Proline claimed ownership and had already filed a petition with the NFF.
'Eventually, the NFF ruled that the player belonged to us, Capital City, but the matter is still unresolved.
'However, Proline and Future Star need to resolve their issues before the transfer can be finalised. Until then, the player cannot be officially transferred.'
Meanwhile, Faizu Aliyu Hamza, the chairman of Future Star, has said they followed due process to acquire Yusuf from Geida FC.
He also denied having any knowledge of Yusuf's ties with Proline FC until when the player's transfer issues arose after he left for international trials.
However, in a document cited by our reporter, the Kano Football Association, on 31st August 2023, wrote to the General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to formally introduce Yusuf Suleiman Abdullahi as a player of Tukuntawa FC, now called Proline FC.
When contacted, the Kano FA scribe, Shehu Buhari, said based on his understanding of the case, the player belongs to Proline in Kano but was later confirmed as a player of City FC by the NFF.
'From Capital City, there was an argument in Abuja, so the NFF wanted clearance from the FA in Kano, whether the player belongs to Future Star or Tukuntawa or Geida.
'We made inquiries, and I personally wrote to Abuja that he is a player of Tukuntawa, presently known as Proline as it is on FIFA connect. So, Geida and Future Star are out of contention,' he said.
However, due to the ongoing disagreement between Proline and Future Star FC, Capital City has not entered into any formal agreement with either party despite the ruling by the NFF.
For now, the future of Yusuf's football career is bleak as the two clubs contend over his ownership. This has been the trend in Nigerian football when players' clearance and transfers are often muddled by personal interests and a lack of transparency.
Provided by Syndigate Media Inc. ( Syndigate.info ).