Football - Niger: Fake transfer certificates and licenses at the Urana FC

Already sanctioned with a defeat by forfeiture in November for having aligned a player under false identity against the SSC (Sahel Sporting Club), Urana FC has been caught again following a protest submitted by the USGN.

The club defends itself through a statement, explaining that it acted "in strict compliance with the regulations" and that the "licenses issued by FENIFOOT were issued on the basis of the documents necessary to issue a license to a player", the Central Competition Commission of the federation announced the elimination of Urana for "fraud".

Who issued the licenses?
Complaining of "actions and manoeuvres aimed at destabilizing [the] functioning of the club," Urana’s executive office, which took office a few days before the championship, is shouting conspiracy by publicly explaining not to exclude «the existence of acts of sports sabotage intended to curb his momentum and ambitions».

The club based in Arlit, in the north of the country, recalls an essential point that raises questions: how and why were the three players able to benefit from a license?

If doubts exist regarding the veracity of the licenses, especially since one of the Nigerian players had two passports with different information on each of them, the debate deserves to be elucidated by a FENIFOOT having already had in the past problems related to the registration of its players and the issuance of FIFA TMS certificates.

Dual passports and fake international transfer certificates
In the case of Urana’s three players, the Central Competition Commission argues that the three international transfer certificates (CIT) are forgeries and that the club has not made any transfers since February 2024. After research, the players in question are still registered in the TMS system of the Nigerian Football Federation.

In fact, how could Urana claim to have licenses 'issued by FENIFOOT'? If this is the case, who internally produced these documents subsequently described as fake by the Central Competition Commission?

Questions for the moment unanswered that deserve clarification from the different parties concerned for sports equity.