All Eyes on NNL: Top Clubs Lobi Stars, Heartland, Akwa United, Sunshine Stars Fail to Clear Players’ Debts Before Deadline
Heartland FC, Akwa United, Sunshine Stars, and Lobi Stars have failed to meet the October 24 deadline for settling outstanding debts owed to their former players and coaches.
The four clubs, relegated from the 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season, did not comply with the directive issued by the Nigeria Football Federation Players Status Arbitration Committee (NFF-PSAC). As a result, they are barred from registering or signing new players ahead of the 2025/2026 Nigeria National League (NNL) season.
According to the NNL, clubs are required to clear all outstanding financial obligations to players and coaches—past or present—as a prerequisite for registration and participation in the new campaign.
“Affected clubs will not be permitted to register new players with the NNL. Any registration made before clearing outstanding debts remains invalid,” a source within the league body confirmed to Sports247.
As of October 27—three days after the registration deadline—checks revealed that Heartland, Akwa United, Sunshine Stars, and Lobi Stars had yet to settle their debts. This development effectively prevents them from strengthening their squads until the debts are cleared.
Observers believe such behavior stems from the leniency often shown by local football authorities, which tends to favor defaulting clubs at the expense of players and coaches.
With the 2025/2026 NNL season scheduled to kick off in November, attention now turns to how the NNL and NFF-PSAC will handle the cases of the affected clubs as the new campaign approaches