Questions have emerged over the circumstances surrounding the international transfer of Nigerian striker Paul Ebere Onuachu from Togo to Europe, with allegations that due process may not have been followed.
Veteran sports journalist Segun Adenuga has claimed he facilitated the player’s early career move to a Togolese academy but has since lost contact with him.
Adenuga said he first spotted Onuachu in 2008 during a street football competition in Lagos and, impressed by his talent, decided to support his football ambitions.
He subsequently arranged for the player to join Liberty Sports Academy, securing an invitation and personally taking him to Togo.
According to Adenuga, the player was enrolled on a 24-month development programme but left the academy after 21 months without completing the agreed term.
He further alleged that neither he nor the academy has had any communication with the striker since his departure, adding that attempts to reach him have been unsuccessful.
The situation reportedly escalated when Onuachu later surfaced in Europe, playing for Danish side FC Midtjylland before moving on to KRC Genk.
The academy’s director, Tchakala Tchanile, in a protest letter dated November 16, 2021, alleged that the player was transferred without proper clearance from the academy. The letter called for an investigation into those responsible for what it described as an “illegal transfer.”
Adenuga also raised concerns over the issuance of the player’s International Transfer Certificate (ITC), questioning how the move to Europe was completed without official records from the Nigeria Football Federation.
He noted that the federation reportedly expressed lack of records regarding the transfer, further deepening the controversy.
Under FIFA regulations, clubs involved in a player’s development are entitled to compensation, a provision Adenuga said may have been breached in this case.
The development has reignited broader concerns about undocumented transfers of young African players to Europe and the enforcement of international football regulations.
