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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Sports

Fake Agents Threaten African Football Academies, Warns Lawyer

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Fake football agents and scammers pose a significant threat to African football academies, according to an international sports lawyer.
  • These fraudsters damage player development by promising non-existent trials, contracts, and transfers, often demanding large sums of money.
  • A masterclass in Lagos will address due diligence and fraud prevention to help academies protect themselves and their players.

Fraudulent football agents and scammers represent one of the most significant dangers facing football academies and amateur clubs across Africa, warns international sports lawyer Abiodun Sonaike. Sonaike, a partner at Lithos Legal Consult, stated that these illicit activities are not only hindering the development of young talent but also eroding trust within the sport.

One of the biggest threats facing football academies and amateur clubs in Africa today is not a lack of talent, but the emergence of fake agents and football scammers.

— Abiodun SonaikeSonaike identifies fake agents as a primary danger to African football development.

Sonaike explained that academy owners frequently receive solicitations from individuals claiming to have extensive connections with clubs in Europe, Asia, and other international destinations. These scammers often go to great lengths to legitimize their operations, employing tactics such as posing with former international players and cloning the social media accounts of legitimate agents to create a false impression of influence. They then proceed to send fake invitation letters and forge transfer documents, all in an effort to extort substantial amounts of money from unsuspecting victims.

Many academies only realize they have been deceived after suffering financial losses, wasting valuable time, and, in some instances, losing the confidence of both players and their parents. Sonaike expressed his deep concern over the escalating number of such cases and emphasized the urgent need for increased awareness regarding the methods employed by these fraudulent agents.

They go as far as posing with ex-internationals to create a false impression of influence and even clone the social media accounts of genuine agents.

— Abiodun SonaikeSonaike details the deceptive tactics used by fraudulent agents to gain credibility.

To combat this growing problem, Sonaike announced he will lead discussions on crucial topics such as due diligence and fraud prevention at the upcoming Elite Football Management and Business Masterclass 2026. Scheduled to take place in Lagos on July 10 and 11, the masterclass aims to equip football managers with the knowledge to safeguard their academies, clubs, and players from fraud, while also sharing practical insights from real-life football transactions and disputes.

I will be discussing how football managers can protect their academies, clubs and players from fraud, as well as sharing real-life experiences from football transactions and disputes.

— Abiodun SonaikeSonaike outlines his planned contribution to the Elite Football Management and Business Masterclass 2026.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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