African Coaches Connect, ACC, has declared full support for former Katsina United coach, Tony Tope Bulus, after FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings against the club for failing to honour a N28 million Court of Arbitration for Sport, CAS, award.
In a statement signed by its Founder and President, Coach Eldred Sunju-Abbey, ACC said it took up the matter after Bulus formally lodged a complaint over the alleged unlawful termination of his employment contract dated August 10, 2023.
The position of the body comes on the heels of FIFA’s letter dated September 11, 2026, with reference FDD-28984, notifying Katsina United that its refusal to comply with the CAS ruling could amount to a violation of Article 21 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code which deals with failure to respect decisions.
CAS, in its award delivered on June 30, 2026 in case CAS 2024/A/10789, had directed Katsina United to pay Bulus N28 million as compensation for the termination of his contract.
FIFA has now proposed an extra $5,000 fine on the club and granted it a final 30-day window to meet the financial obligation once the proposed sanction becomes final and binding. The club was further warned that if it still defaults, a ban on registering new players could be imposed upon request by the creditor until full payment is made.
Mr Sunju-Abbey said ACC considered Bulus’ case as an institutional issue because the coach is a registered member of the organisation.
“Coach Bulus is not merely a client — he is a bona fide, card-carrying member of ACC, and his tribulation, akin to the tribulation of all our members, is indubitably our collective fight,” he said.
The ACC President lauded the Deputy Director of Legal of the body, Barrister Njoku Dominic Nwachukwu, and other members of its Legal Department for their efforts on the case. He also commended Dr Johnny-Precious Ogbah of Activity Chambers for collaborating with the ACC legal team in securing the CAS award.
Sunju-Abbey described the CAS verdict as a landmark, stressing that it mandated Katsina United to pay N28 million in compensatory damages to Bulus. He said the club’s failure to obey the ruling had now triggered FIFA disciplinary action under Article 21 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.
According to him, the additional $5,000 fine and the final 30-day ultimatum should serve as a lesson to football clubs on the need to honour contractual commitments. He assured that ACC will continue to stand up for its members against contractual violations and unfair treatment.
“No coach, no football professional, no member, affiliate, friend or partner of ACC shall ever be left to walk alone,” Sunju-Abbey stated.
He called on Katsina United’s management to take advantage of the grace period offered by FIFA to settle the matter.
“We hereby admonish and urge the management of Katsina United FC to embrace honour, rectitude and sporting integrity by doing the needful within the window magnanimously granted by FIFA,” he said.
Mr Sunju-Abbey added that adherence to contracts and respect for judicial pronouncements remain fundamental to professional football.
In a related development, Bulus’ lawyer, Dr Johnny-Precious Ogbah, had earlier advised Katsina United to pay the outstanding sums due to FIFA and his client within the given timeframe, cautioning that continued disobedience could attract more sporting and financial sanctions.
