By BABATUNDE OGUNRINDE

International sports lawyer, Abiodun Sonaike, has warned that fake football agents and scammers have become one of the greatest threats to football academies and amateur clubs in Africa.

Sonaike, a Partner at Lithos Legal Consult, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday that the activities of fraudulent agents were damaging player development and undermining 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,” he said.

According to him, academy owners frequently receive messages from individuals claiming to have connections with clubs in Europe, Asia and other foreign destinations.

He said the fraudsters often send fake invitation letters and forge transfer documents in attempts to obtain large sums of money from unsuspecting victims.

“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,” Sonaike said.

He added that some of the scammers promise trials, contracts, visas and transfers that do not exist and will never materialise.

Sonaike noted that many academies only discover the deception after losing money, valuable time and, in some cases, the confidence of players and parents.

He expressed dissatisfaction over the growing number of such cases and stressed the need for greater awareness of how fraudulent agents operate.

To address the problem, Sonaike said he would lead discussions on due diligence and fraud prevention at the Elite Football Management and Business Masterclass (EFMBM) 2026.

“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,” he said.

The EFMBM 2026 is scheduled to hold in Lagos on July 10 and 11. (NAN)

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