Emma Jemegah
Super Eagles goalkeeper, Francis Odinaka Uzoho is currently enmeshed in transfer mess, as his supposed Nigerian club, Campos Football Academy is up in arms with the management of Aspire Academy of Doha, Qatar over ownership of the FC Omonia of Cyprus player.
Uzoho allegedly transferred from Aspire Dream Academy of Nigeria, an arm of the Qatar based club to Deportivo de La Coruña of Spain before he was loaned to FC Omonia but his purported Nigerian club, Campos FC of Owerri, Nigeria has cried foul on the deal that saw them sidelined from the sale of the goalkeeper.
President of Campos FC, Osuji Patrick Ikechukwu, in an exclusive chat with Daily SunSports had alleged that Uzoho was sold to foreign club by the Nigerian director of Aspire Academy, Sam Ahmedu, a retired colonel in the Nigerian Army, using a phony club as a front in connivance with Nasiru Jibril, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) TSM manager.
“Uzoho has been my player since 2010 and there was never a time we sold or loaned him to any club. When he was transferred abroad, we protested and Nasiru Jibril promised to sort out the issue but it appears there’s conspiracy in denying us what is due to us,” Ikechukwu alleged.
On February 18, 2010, Uzoho’s father, Azubuike Cletus signed an agreement with the president of Campos Academy while the goalkeeper himself consummated agreement with Campos Academy on March 12, 2011 and appeared for the club in an Imo FA sanctioned match against ANSFED FC on July 31, 2011.
Reacting to the allegation, Col Ahmedu (Rtd) denied the claim by Ikechukwu, saying Uzoho signed agreement form with Aspire where he stated that he had no team in Nigeria.
Col Ahmedu also disclosed that Uzoho’s father, not only signed agreement with Aspire but also was on annual salary of $6000 while Uzoho himself enjoyed scholarship for five years. “Uzoho’s father is still owing Aspire $3,000 because he was mistakenly paid after his son had graduated. He has refunded part of the money though,” the Aspire director explained.