Kabiru Akinsola Faces Ban

Former Nigeria junior international Kabiru Akinsola could be banned from playing football globally if he fails to pay the sum of 300 Swiss Francs to a special account within the next nine (9) months. In addition, he is to pay the sum of 100 Swiss Francs, being the costs of proceedings of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.

This was the decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee that entertained a hearing on the failure of the player to comply with a decision passed by the Dispute Resolution Chamber Single Judge of the FIFA Players’ Status Committee on 17^th January, 2014. 

The decision concerned an employment –related dispute arisen between the club, Etoile Sportive du Sahel of Tunisia and the player.

Akinsola, who was a member of the U-17 National Team that won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Korea Republic in 2007, is presently on the books of Nigeria Professional Football League side, Sunshine Stars of Akure.

In the decision taken after a meeting of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee of May 12, 2015 and signed by Alejandra Salmeron Garcia, Deputy Secretary, it was stated that “the player Kabiru Akinsola Olanrewaju is granted a final period of grace of 9 months as from notification of the present decision in which to settle his debt to the creditor, the club Etoile Sportive du Sahel.

“If the payment is not made by this deadline, the creditor may demand in writing from the secretariat to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee than a ban on any football–related activity be imposed on the player, Kabiru Akinsola Olanrewaju, for a period of three months. Once the creditor has filed this request, the ban on taking part in any kind of football-related activity will be imposed automatically without a further formal decision having to be taken by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.” However, the ban would be lifted once the payment has been made.

The decision went further: “If payment is not made by the end of the 3 months ban, the creditor may demand in writing from the secretariat to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, which may decide on further disciplinary measures such as extending the ban on taking part in any kind of football –related activity.”