Tussle over the new bride

The tussle by Warri Wolves FC and Enugu Rangers FC over the ownership of 2013 African Cup of Nations, AFCON hero Sunday Mba might not be unconnected with what they will benefit when the player put pen to paper for a foreign club.

Before now, Sunday Mba was just like any other player in the Nigeria Premier League, NPL, who was not reckon with. The player’s profile began to rise shortly after he was invited to the national team.

Mba, just like his other teammates in the NPL were fringe players. They only play when their foreign counterparts are not around. He was not even noticed in some of the friendly matches, as he was always used as a substitute rather, Gabriel Reuben was selected ahead of him.

Mba after scoring against Cote d'Ivoire

Luck shone on Mba when he was included in the 23-man list to prosecute the last African Cup of Nations, AFCON in South Africa. He was not featured in the first two matches because of the presence of Fengor Ogude, Nwankwo Obiora and Onazi Ogenyi. The injury to Ogude and below performance of Obiora paved the way for Mba.

Like a destined child, he shone like a million stars in his first outing. As if that was a fluke, he took the shine off Cote d’Ivoire’s highly rated Manchester City star, Yaya Toure and others in the midfield and also went ahead to grab one of the best goals in the tournament.

Mba finally cemented his place in the Super Eagles by featuring in the final of the AFCON against Burkina-Faso despite the return of Fengor Ogude. To crown all his efforts, he once again grabbed the only goal in the final match.

Sunday Mba immediately rose after his goal and performance against Cote d’Ivoire. Then two clubs in the NPL started a tussle over the ownership of the player. It took the intervention of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF for the player not to be distracted in the AFCON because of the tussle.

Enugu Rangers Football Club claimed that Sunday Mba is their player. Warri Wolves Football Club is also insisting that Sunday Mba who is about to become a foreign player belongs to them. Enugu state Football Association chairman, Chidi Ofor Okenwa said Warri Wolves claim is false.

According to Okenwa, “We don’t have to start joining issues with Warri Wolves on who owns Sunday Mba. Any contractual agreement of a player is with the state FA, and that is Delta state F A. Like when Mba joined Rangers from Enyimba, he was duly registered in Enugu FA and his papers are still on my table.”

Rangers Media Officer, Foster Chime also chipped in on the argument. “Warri Wolves are crying wolf. We don’t have any business with them because Mba is a registered player of Rangers. He joined us from Enyimba, then we loaned him to Dolphin, who in turn loaned him to Warri Wolves without our consent.”

The National Assembly was not comfortable over the tussle hence the members of the House of Representatives Committee on Sports, lamented on the ownership crisis that have trailed the Super Eagles midfielder, Sunday Mba, and Chigozie Agbim.

Mba in the colour of Warri Wolves FC

During a summon of the League Management Committee, LMC, the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF and erstwhile chairman of Nigerian Premier League, NPL, Chief Victor Rumson Baribote by the Committee on Sports, Honourable Hakeem Abiodun Muniru, stressed that the management of the game deserves thorough examination.

A sport enthusiast, Olumide Akinyande argued that administration is a big problem in Nigerian football. He said that was why there was crisis over who owns Sunday Mba after the Africa Cup of Nations. “Warri Wolves are screaming, Rangers are screaming. Look at Chigozie Agbim, a goalkeeper who did not even feature in a match also became a subject of contention. We know the truth because we see ITC everywhere. These players want to showcase themselves but the leadership is not helping matters,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mba was quoted as saying recently that, “We were four players that left Warri Wolves before the Nations Cup. Why is it that I am the only one they are bothering. The truth of the matter is that I have no contract with Wolves.”

The last club Mba played for before going to the Nations Cup, Warri Wolves are insisting that Sunday Mba, is still their player, after the midfielder argued that he was now contracted to Enugu Rangers.

Wolves said no transfer involving the player ever happened and ordered Mba to return to the club for training. “We don’t want to be exchanging words or be arguing about Sunday Mba. If he were a bonafide player of Rangers let them field him in a match and see if they would not be sanctioned,” the executive chairman of Delta State Sports Commission, Amaju Pinnick said.

Chairman of Warri Wolves, Godwin Abigor was furious over the claim of Enugu Rangers on Sunday Mba, saying that he was scandalised by the club and the attitude of the midfielder. Abigor produced documents to authenticate his claim that Mba was still a Warri Wolves player.

Among the documents was a November 2, 2012 letter from Rangers requesting for the services of Sunday Mba, Chigozie Agbim and Lazarus Chukwu. Wolves were yet to release him as negotiation for any transfer, according to Abigor, had not taken place.

“In that letter, Rangers referred to Mba and the other two as Warri Wolves players and since transfer had not taken place why are Rangers now claiming that  Mba was theirs?” Abigor said.

He also produced the player’s license and contract showing that he was a Warri Wolves player.  Their petition to the League Management Board against the move of Rangers to sell Mba to European club even during the Nations Cup and the resolution of the league board on the matter were equally produced. Abigor then said the following:

“I pray for the career of Sunday Mba to blossom. He is a good player but he must watch his conduct and behaviour. It is difficult to succeed without discipline. Mba has exceptional talent but he must be honest and sincere in all he does. He must learn to respect contracts otherwise he may not be a successful professional. On the side of Rangers Football Club, I find their claim as irresponsible. The documents speak for us.”

Mba unveiled alongside with Chinedu in Enugu Rangers recently

Warri Wolves spokesman, Etu Moses, accused Mba of treachery, pointing out that the player presented himself as the club’s player, just to get money from Delta state governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan.

Moses queried, “Why did he present himself as Warri Wolves player and collected additional N2.5m when the governor of Delta State rewarded Super Eagles players on February 14 with N2.5m each?

“He collected N5m because the governor doubled the reward for all the Warri Wolves players. He has one year remaining in his contract. The club expected Mba to resume in Warri on or before March 1, 2013.”

Chairman of Enugu Rangers, Festus Onu was reported to have rewarded Rangers players who were in the Nations Cup team. Each of the players received N300,000 each;  Mba and Chigozie Agbim were listed as recipients.

It would be recalled that the Interim Management Committee of the NPL ruled on February 13 that Mba was a Warri Wolves player as Rangers were yet to buy him.

As at press time, the two clubs – Rangers and Warri Wolves including Sunday Mba, were at the NFF secretariat in Abuja to sort out things.

Executive Chairman of Delta State Sports Commission, Amaju Pinnick claimed that Bundelsiga outfit, Bayern Leverkusen and Dinamo Zagreb top the list of sixteen teams chasing the signature of the Super Eagles latest sensation Sunday Mba.

Pinnick told a Lagos-based radio station that the list of suitors for the two-goal AFCON hero was growing by the day and they will weigh all the offers coming their way before a decision is finally taken.

Pinnick further disclosed that in 2008, Mba was close to teaming up with Spanish lower league side Elche, but the deal collapsed after his local club then, Enugu Rangers, demanded too much money.

An observer, David Okon claimed that Pinnick’s revelation might be responsible for the tussle between Warri Wolves and Enugu Rangers.

Former Ogun State Sports Commissioner, Bukola Olopade counseled that the matter be handled professionally, lest the outside world would laugh at our system.

Sunday Mba was born on November 28, 1988. He started his international career as a member of the Nigeria B team that won the 2010 WAFU Nations Cup. His father is the famous goalkeeper Sixten Mohlin.

He made his senior debut in the Eagles' 0-0 tie against Angola in January 2012 and scored a brace against Liberia in his next game. He was called up to Nigeria's 23-man squad for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.