BY JOHN EGBOKHAN
The panel set up by the Nigeria Football Federation to resolve the contract war over Super Eagles star, Sunday Mba, has told the feuding clubs, Rangers International and Warri Wolves to go and sort out the matter before Monday or else they would come out with their ruling.

Nigeria’s forward Sunday Mba (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal against Burkina Faso during the 2013 African Cup of Nations final football match between Burkina Faso and Nigeria on February 10, 2013 at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg. AFP PHOTO

This was the decision arrived last night by the panel chaired by Dr. Sanusi, who said that since football was a united family, there were better ways of resolving conflicts internally, without direct intervention by the regulating authorities.

Dr. Sanusi was reported to have stated this after Mba, made a passionate appeal during their sitting yesterday, where he dramatically noted that any decision reached that did not favour him was going to damage his football career.

This was so as it has emerged that Mba actually signed a contract with Rangers, while still being a player of Warri Wolves. The implications were clear.

At the resumed hearing of the panel’s deliberations held at the NFF Secretariat in the FederalCapitalTerritory, Abuja, we gathered that Barr. Dafe Mapo, who stood in for the Executive Chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission, Pinnick Amaju, was excellent and articulate in his presentation. It was learnt that he argued that documents on ground showed that Mba had a subsisting contract with Warri Wolves.

Also, the Nigeria Premier League led by Salihu Abubakar, was flawless in their presentation. They had actually ruled that Mba was a Wolves player.

It was at this point that Mba, dramatically stood up and pleaded to be heard out on the matter. Looking sad and close to tears, he was reported to have have said that if the decision did not favour him that it will be catastrophic for his fledgling career, “having scored great goals for Nigeria.”

Panel sources inferred that Mba made this appeal after perceiving that it was not going his way because a player who signed two contracts would face serious implications.

In their closing remark, the panel urged both clubs to amicably resolve the matter before Monday and duly inform them of their decision in written form. He noted that failure by both parties to agree would see them come out with their verdict.