Team Disqualified As Nigerian Player Implicated In Transfer Certificate Forgery Case

Team Disqualified As Nigerian Player Implicated In Transfer Certificate Forgery Case 

Sampson Adedeji

Urana FC have been disqualified from the Niger Cup after the Nigerien Football Federation found the club guilty of fielding three Nigerian players with falsified International Transfer Certificates (ITCs) during their Round of 16 clash against Union Sportive de la Gendarmerie Nationale (USGN), BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The decision followed a formal protest lodged by USGN and marks the second major sanction against the Arlit-based club this season. 

In November, Urana FC were already handed a forfeit defeat for fielding a player under a false identity in a match against Sahel Sporting Club (SSC).

In a statement, Urana FC attempted to defend its actions, insisting it acted “in strict compliance with the regulations” and claiming that the player licences were “issued by FENIFOOT based on the documents required for registration.” 

However, the Federation’s Central Competitions Commission rejected the defence and officially eliminated the club from the competition, citing “fraud” as the basis for the decision.

Urana’s executive board, which assumed office only days before the start of the championship, has rejected the ruling, alleging a conspiracy and “actions and manoeuvres aimed at destabilising the functioning of the club.” 

The club further suggested the possibility of “sporting sabotage intended to curb its momentum and ambitions.”

Serious questions have now emerged over how the three players were granted licences in the first place.

 Doubts surrounding the documentation intensified after it was revealed that one of the Nigerian players reportedly possessed two passports carrying different personal details.

Following investigations, the Central Competitions Commission concluded that the three ITCs were forged and confirmed that Urana FC had not conducted any official transfers since February 2024. 

Records also show that the players remain registered in the Nigeria Football Federation’s Transfer Matching System (TMS), further undermining the club’s claims.

The controversy has raised broader concerns within Nigerien football governance, particularly regarding registration processes and the issuance of FIFA TMS certificates areas in which FENIFOOT has faced challenges in the past.

With conflicting claims from Urana FC and the federation, key questions remain unanswered, especially over how the licences were issued and who internally authorised the documents later declared fake. 

Stakeholders are now calling for full transparency and clarification from all parties involved in the interest of sporting integrity and fairness.

Following ongoing investigation, the name of the affected player is protected until after conclusion of the investigation and found guilty.