Kun Khalifat FC’s transfer of aggression

The recent threat by one of the privately owned clubs, Kun Khalifat FC, to withdraw from the ongoing Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season didn’t come as a surprise to many of us because the debutants are literally struggling to stay alive in the Nigerian topflight. As a newly promoted team, Kun Khalifat are faced […]

The recent threat by one of the privately owned clubs, Kun Khalifat FC, to withdraw from the ongoing Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season didn’t come as a surprise to many of us because the debutants are literally struggling to stay alive in the Nigerian topflight.

As a newly promoted team, Kun Khalifat are faced with a myriad of problems, one of which is poor funding. This is a major challenge that has threatened the existence of the club at different times. As a matter of fact, it is indeed a pleasant surprise that this club has lasted up to week 24 in this sophisticated competition called the NPFL.

For those who do not know, the Owerri-based club has been charged for breaching the NPFL Framework & Rules after failing to honour their Matchday 24 fixture at El-Kanemi Warriors on Monday, February 2. The NPFL board ordered three points and three goals forfeiture, which would be awarded to the Warriors of Maiduguri.

In addition, Kun Khalifat were slammed with an N10 million fine. This is a suspended sentence for the remaining part of the season if no similar breach is committed within the period. By suspended sentence, Kun Khalifat would pay the fine only if they failed to honour another match in the course of the season. However, considering how the club reacted angrily to the fine, it appears that their officials didn’t understand the meaning of the suspended fine.

Well, before they failed to turn up in Maiduguri for the week 24 match, the club had written letters to the NPFL requesting that the match be shifted forward to enable them fix their bus and other logistical arrangements before embarking on the long trip up north. Unfortunately, the league organisers refused to grant the request because they are not under any obligation to do so.

So, it was the decision to punish them that prompted Kun Khalifat to announce their withdrawal from the league. The good news is that after a closed door meeting with the NPFL, Kun Khalifat have rescinded their decision and will continue to participate in the league. They must have realised that their threat was nothing more than a transfer of aggression. It is doubtful, if the NPFL is directly responsible for the most of the problems which could have triggered Kun Khalifat’s aggression.

Well, it would have been sad for the NPFL to lose one of its privately owned clubs. Already, the competition is dominated by government-owned clubs, which is an aberration because club ownership is not supposed to be government business. Consequently, for quite some time now, the clamour has been for governments to disengage from the sponsorship of clubs, so any time a private club is frustrated out of the league, it becomes a major setback for football development.

Against this background, it is gratifying to note that Kun Khalifat are back into the league and would see out their remaining fixtures. Of course, by their current position on the table, they have only a faint chance of escaping relegation, but they have to conclude the season. Whoever brokered peace between the NPFL and the club deserve commendation.

For those who are of the opinion that the NPFL was too harsh on Kun Khalifat, there was nothing wrong with the decision. The competition has rules, which are meant to be followed to the letter. Although the club wrote to the NPFL, asking to have their match shifted, it is not stated anywhere in the Framework and Rules that such a request must be granted. Moreover, once a single match is rescheduled, it affects other matches as well. It is only when the schedule of matches is respected that the season can be concluded as planned.

The letter by Kun Khalifat expressing shock, disappointment and displeasure over the refusal of the NPFL to grant their request was, therefore, unnecessary because they cannot be participants and organisers at the same time. They have no right to force the NPFL to reschedule their matches for their convenience. Once that is done, other clubs will jump on board, and there will be inevitable chaos.

However, it is also necessary for the NPFL to temper justice with mercy when necessary. Honestly, it is surprising how clubs in the NPFL cover long distances by road to honour away matches. Apart from the menace of bandits and kidnappers, we all know how our roads have become death traps. Still, most clubs that can’t afford air travel continue to move through the valleys of death just to play football that isn’t worth anyone’s life. So, considering the sacrifices that clubs make, when any of them has a genuine request or complaint, it should be looked into.

For instance, the request by Kun Khalifat for them to be allowed to play Barau FC and then make the short trip to Maiduguri to face El-Kanemi Warriors in Maiduguri was reasonable and should have been considered by the NPFL. They wanted to use one stone to kill two birds. It is said that he who wears the shoes knows where it pinches most. The NPFL may not understand exactly the pain these players and officials endure on the bad roads. Therefore, if anything can be done to reduce their suffering, it should be done with speed.  

However, instead of threatening to pull out of the competition as if their exit would stop the league from functioning, Kun Khalifat should learn to apply diplomacy in their interaction with the league body. If they are confrontational and quick to issue threats, it would instead worsen their already bad situation.

It’s also important to reiterate that the decision taken against Kun Khalifat may appear harsh but it was taken in accordance with the laid-down Framework and Rules of the NPFL. Moreover, under the regulations of FIFA, UEFA, CAF and almost every national association, a walkover is an official and legally binding procedure. This should guide the reaction of any erring club.

Anyway, had Kun Khalifat decided to go the way of their predecessors like Iwuanyanwu Nationale, Abiola Babes, Gabros International, Jasper United, FC Ifeanyi Ubah, JC Raiders and a host of others, it wouldn’t have been enough reason to deny the fact that they have tried their best. Competing against government-sponsored clubs is not an easy task. The name of the game in Nigeria is money, and once you don’t have it, there is a limit to what you can do or achieve in the NPFL.