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By Amaechi Agbo

On the day the relocation of Nigeria National League side, Vandrezzer Football Club from Akwa Ibom state to Lagos State, it has emerged that the newly established club is owing players five months salaries.

This is revealed by a player of the club, Ofonime Afangide on a petition he wrote to the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF and the Nigeria National League management over alleged illegal termination of his contract…

Ofonime Afangide accused the cub of terminating his two-year contract with them without his consent.

The letter which he shared on social media titled “Breach Of My Contract By Vandrezzer FC” Afangide alleged that he had gone through the most unprofessional treatment in the hands of the management of the club adding that he is being frustrated by the club and cause emotional pain.

He noted that all he wanted was for the club to release hie clearance and pay his outstanding salaries to enable him move on.

“I, Ofonime Afangide, do hereby write to intimate the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF),  the Nigeria National League (NNL) Board , Players’ Union, the press and the general public of the breach of the two-year contract I signed with Vandrezzer F.C. in November 2019.

“That Vandrezzer has without my due consent and that of other players failed in payment of salaries from August 2020 till date.

“I have gone through the most unprofessional treatment by VFC which is aimed at frustrating my career and causing me emotional and psychological pain as the club has refused to release my clearance paper despite weeks of begging.

“All I want at this time is the release of my clearance and payment of my outstanding salaries so I can move on with my career,” the letter he shared on Facebook read.

Vandrezzer Suspended Players Contract Since March

Investigations by has revealed the players refused to resume to camp in November 2020 after receiving invitation letters from the club and subsequently did not take part in the club’s COVID-19 tests as ordered by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, NCDC.

Vandrezzer FC in March 2020 suspended players contract following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria and subsequent suspension of all contact sports and football activities in the country and the World Football’s governing body’s (FIFA) recommendations contained in a set of guidelines meant to tackle the complexities of the unprecedented shutdown caused by the coronavirus and need to preserve the integrity and stability of domestic leagues.

Sources told The Athletic NG that during the period of suspension of contact sports, which ran from March 2020 till October 2020, players of Vandrezzer FC were given financial support (palliative) equal to 100% of their regular salaries even though their contract had been suspended and they performed no service to to the club.

When the Federal government lifted ban on footballing activities last year, the Club announced the reopening of camp in November and recalled players back to camp in batches.

Players were advised to proceed to the nominated medical center to undertake the COVID-19 test prior to resumption at the camp.

The team was then divided into groups to allow for easy management, to ensure safe social distancing and prevent the spread of COVIDd-19 in line with club’s COVID-19 policy.

In November, the players in question (Mfon and Afangide) were advised to proceed to the government approved test centre for COVID-19 test ahead of resumption of training but they failed to comply.

Our source also gathered that in December, a letter was also issued to the players, instructing them to resume at the club’s training ground to which one resumed while three others failed to heed.

On the 4th of January, 2021, the players were then issued a query requesting to know why they had failed to resume training to which they again failed to respond.