By Shittu Daniella Ayomiposi | ACC Touchline Studio
For the Growth of All African Football Professionals, Stakeholders, Fans and Allied Industry — this remains the irreducible mantra of African Coaches Connect (ACC). In fidelity to that creed, African Coaches Connect (ACC) has once again demonstrated why it remains the foremost custodian of the rights of coaches and African Football Professionals in Africa, and wherever they reside or practice, as FIFA opens disciplinary proceedings against Katsina United FC over its failure to obey a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Award secured through an ACC-initiated legal process.
The entire legal journey — from the documentation of the wrongful termination to the pursuit of justice at the highest sports tribunal — was initiated, coordinated and supervised by ACC on behalf of its bona fide and membership card carrying member, Coach Tony Tope Bulus.
When Coach Bulus reported the unjust termination of his employment contract of 10th August 2023, ACC immediately activated its internal legal machinery. Through its Legal Department, ACC formally commissioned and partnered with Activity Chambers to file and diligently prosecute the case, culminating in the landmark CAS Award CAS 2024/A/10789 of 30th June 2026, which unequivocally ordered Katsina United FC to pay N28 million in compensation.
The club’s failure to comply has now triggered FIFA’s hammer. In communication FDD-28984 dated 11th September 2026, FIFA informed Katsina United that its non-compliance constitutes a breach of Article 21 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code — Failure to Respect Decisions. FIFA has proposed an additional $5,000 fine and a final 30-day deadline to comply, failing which a ban on registering new players will be imposed at the creditor’s request.
This is not a borrowed victory. This is ACC’s process, ACC’s case, ACC’s advocacy in action.
Reacting to the development, the Founder & President of ACC, Coach Eldred SUNJU-ABBEY (D’Servant), stated:
“From the very moment Coach Tony Tope Bulus formally reported the egregious and wrongful termination of his employment contract of 10th August 2023, African Coaches Connect (ACC) assumed full custodianship of this matter as an institutional imperative. 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.
I wish to express my profound and sincere appreciation to our erudite Deputy Director of Legal, Barr. Dominic Njoku, and the entire distinguished membership of the ACC Legal Department for their exemplary diligence, consummate professionalism, unwavering probity and behind-the-scenes industry which culminated in this landmark milestone. I must equally extend our commendation to Dr. Johnny-Precious Ogbah of Activity Chambers, who synergized admirably with our internal legal directorate to secure resounding justice at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on 30th June 2026, which unequivocally ordered Katsina United FC to pay the sum of N28 million in compensatory damages.
The club’s continued intransigence and recalcitrant refusal to obey and execute that sacrosanct award has now, quite rightly, attracted the full weight of FIFA’s disciplinary hammer pursuant to Article 21 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code — with an additional punitive fine of $5,000 and a final, non-extendable 30-day ultimatum to comply, failing which a comprehensive ban on the registration of new players shall be imposed.
Let this serve as an unequivocal and unmistakable caveat to all football clubs in Nigeria, across the African continent and globally: African Coaches Connect (ACC) shall perpetually and resolutely continue to ADVOCATE, PROTECT and DEFEND all our members with unalloyed commitment in the face of flagrant maltreatment, brazen disrespect, willful breach of contract and manifest injustice. No coach, no football professional, no member, affiliate, friend or partner of ACC shall ever be left to walk alone.”
The Bulus case is a clear testament to ACC’s core philosophy: MEASURE, BRIDGE, RETAIN. We MEASURE the injustice, BRIDGE the gap to justice, and RETAIN the dignity of our members.
ACC initiated it. ACC drove it. ACC will finish it. When African coaches’ and football professionals rights are challenged, ACC stands with them. No one walks alone.
ACC – United to Get Better and Greater – We All Are The Ones We’ve been Waiting For