Katsina United have been given 15 days to pay former coach Tony Tope Bulus ₦28 million after a FIFA Disciplinary Committee ruling, or face a ban on registering new players and possible further sanctions that reports say could include a points deduction or relegation. The NPFL club was notified in a Nigeria Football Federation letter dated October 2, 2026, which conveyed FIFA’s decision of September 21 and an additional USD 5,000 fine for failing to comply with an earlier award.
| Amount owed to Bulus | ₦28 million |
|---|---|
| FIFA fine | USD 5,000 |
| CAS award | 30 June 2026 |
| FIFA Disciplinary Committee decision | 21 September 2026 |
| NFF letter to the club | 2 October 2026 |
| Deadline | 15 days from receipt of the letter |
| Sanction if unpaid | Ban on registering new players until the debt is cleared |
The case dates back to August 10, 2023, when Bulus signed a two-year contract to coach Katsina United. The club ended the deal midway through, citing his conduct and the team’s results, and the coach took the matter to football’s dispute bodies. The Court of Arbitration for Sport issued an award in his favour on June 30, 2026, and FIFA’s disciplinary arm stepped in when the money wasn’t paid.
What FIFA’s letter means for Katsina United’s squad
The immediate threat is a registration ban. According to the NFF’s correspondence, FIFA will impose the ban “without further decision” if the deadline passes, and it will stay in place until the full amount has been paid. The letter also directs the club to pay the USD 5,000 fine to FIFA “as fine for failure to comply with the decision”.
A registration ban wouldn’t remove any player already on Katsina United’s books, but it would stop the club from adding new ones, including replacements for injured players or late signings ahead of the second half of the season. FIFA’s disciplinary code also allows points deductions and, in persistent cases, relegation for clubs that keep ignoring financial decisions, and reports on the letter say those steps have been raised as possibilities if the debt stays unpaid. The 15-day window runs from the date the club received the letter, so if it arrived on the day it was dated, Katsina United have until around October 17 to settle.
Club chairman Surajo Baba Malumfashi said he had not seen the letter when first approached about the directive and would respond once he had reviewed it. The club hasn’t made a public statement on whether it intends to pay.
A points deduction would hurt in the tightest part of the NPFL table
Katsina United sit 11th in the NPFL on nine points from seven games after a 1-1 draw at Inter Lagos on Sunday. They’ve won twice, drawn three times and lost twice, and only six points separate Rivers United in second from Katsina in 11th, as the NPFL Matchday 7 results showed. Even a small deduction would drop them towards the bottom four, where Enyimba, Ranchers Bees, Shooting Stars and Warri Wolves are all bunched on seven points.
Their next game comes before the deadline expires. Katsina United host Enyimba at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium on Sunday, October 11, against a side that has won its last two league games despite the resignation of assistant coach Kelvin Ejeh on the eve of their win over Plateau United.
NPFL · Matchday 8
Preview
Muhammadu Dikko Stadium, Katsina · Sunday 11 October 2026, 4:00pm
Why the Bulus case matters beyond Katsina
Disputes over unpaid wages and wrongful termination are not new in Nigerian club football, and coaches and players who can’t get a settlement at home can take them to FIFA and CAS. Once a case reaches the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, the sanctions for missing a deadline follow automatically, which leaves clubs far less room to negotiate than a domestic dispute would.
For Katsina United, the quickest way out is to pay before the registration ban takes effect. SportCabal will update this story when the club or the NFF confirms its next step.
