“Pay My Outstanding Dues”: Aliyu AbdulRazak Calls Out Katsina United, Asks NPFL to Enforce PSAC Decision
Former Katsina United player Aliyu AbdulRazak has called on the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) to enforce a Players Status and Arbitration Committee (PSAC) decision directing the club to pay him ₦7.2 million, insisting that the football regulatory system must protect players beyond the point of issuing a ruling.
AbdulRazak said Katsina United has paid ₦4 million of the amount awarded by the PSAC, leaving ₦3.2 million outstanding.
He said the PSAC decision was issued on December 5, 2025, following a contractual dispute between him and the Katsina-based club.
The former player is now appealing directly to the NPFL to ensure the outstanding amount is paid and that any applicable sanction for non-compliance is enforced.
For AbdulRazak, however, the dispute is about more than ₦3.2 million. It is about whether professional footballers can trust the mechanisms established to protect their contractual rights.
From Contract to Dispute
AbdulRazak said his contract with Katsina United was initially scheduled to run from December 20, 2021, to November 20, 2023, but was terminated in 2021 after he had made 15 appearances for the club.
The dispute eventually reached the PSAC, where, according to AbdulRazak, the committee ordered Katsina United to pay ₦7.2 million.
He said the club subsequently made a partial payment of ₦4 million but has yet to settle the remaining ₦3.2 million.
“The PSAC decision was clear. I was awarded ₦7.2 million. Katsina United has paid ₦4 million, so ₦3.2 million is still outstanding. I am calling on the NPFL to enforce the decision.”
The former player also claimed that Katsina United was placed under a transfer restriction until the outstanding obligation was cleared, but alleged that the club has neither settled the balance nor complied with the restriction.
He questioned why the NPFL had not enforced the order or imposed any applicable punitive measure for non-compliance.
Not Asking for Sympathy, But Enforcement
AbdulRazak said he is not seeking special treatment, stressing that he has already used the recognised football dispute-resolution process.
“I am not asking for sympathy. I am asking for enforcement. If a decision has been made and a club has been ordered to pay, that decision should mean something.”
His frustration centres on what he considers a gap between securing a ruling and actually receiving the full amount awarded.
“I have followed the process. I have gone through the proper channel. Now I am asking the NPFL to do its part.”
The former Katsina United player believes sanctions are only meaningful when they lead to compliance.
“If there is a punishment for non-compliance, it should be applied. Otherwise, what confidence will players have in the system?”
“I Don’t Want to Retire Into Penury”
The dispute has also become a personal warning for AbdulRazak, who said his greatest concern is what happens to footballers when their playing careers eventually come to an end.
He said he has witnessed former professional players struggle financially after years of service to the game.
“I don’t want to retire into penury. I have seen many NPFL players give everything to football, play their hearts out and end up being owed millions.”
“Some of these players are now riding Keke or doing menial jobs just to survive after giving the best years of their lives to football. Retired players deserve more than that.”
His argument touches on one of the longstanding concerns surrounding professional football in Nigeria: player welfare and the enforcement of contractual obligations.
While players are expected to honour contracts, AbdulRazak believes clubs and football authorities must equally ensure that contractual commitments and regulatory decisions are respected.
“Where Do We Get Justice?”
AbdulRazak said the experience has left him questioning the options available to players when an established dispute-resolution process produces a decision but payment remains incomplete.
“If the law and the football authorities cannot help players get justice, where do they expect us to get justice?”
He said the issue should not be viewed simply as an individual dispute between a player and a club.
“This is bigger than me. Today it is my case; tomorrow it can be another player. Players need to know that when they use the proper channels, the decisions will actually be enforced.”
The former player also disclosed that he is currently without regular employment or a stable source of income.
“At the moment, I am not doing anything. Life has not been rosy. This is money I worked for, and I believe I should be paid.”
The Bigger Question for the NPFL
AbdulRazak’s case raises a fundamental question about the effectiveness of player-protection mechanisms in Nigerian professional football: what happens after a decision has been made?
A dispute-resolution system can provide a formal avenue for players and clubs to settle contractual disagreements. But for players, the process does not truly end with a ruling. Compliance remains the critical final step.
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In AbdulRazak’s account, ₦7.2 million was awarded, ₦4 million has been paid and ₦3.2 million remains outstanding.
He is now asking the NPFL to enforce the decision and, where applicable, impose the consequences provided under its regulations.
“I am not asking for anything that does not belong to me. I am simply asking Katsina United to pay my outstanding dues.”
“I don’t want to retire into penury. I want the system to work for players. If we give our best years to football, we should also have confidence that our rights will be protected.”
The matter now awaits the response of Katsina United and the NPFL. Their positions on the PSAC ruling, payments already made, the alleged ₦3.2 million balance, the reported transfer restriction and any enforcement action would be necessary to provide the club and league’s side of the dispute.
For AbdulRazak, the demand remains simple: pay what the ruling says is owed and ensure that football’s player-protection mechanisms carry consequences beyond paper.
