January 17, (THEWILL) – Peters Afolayan has returned to Dino Sporting Club following a contractual dispute with Heartland FC, who initially declared the defender missing on social media.
The situation stems from complications regarding the player’s loan agreement between both clubs.
The original two-year loan agreement, signed in 2022, required Heartland FC to pay N500,000 to Dino Sporting Club.
According to the parent club, this payment was never received, though they initially overlooked this breach due to a separate compensation arrangement between the player and Heartland FC.
The defender’s significance to Heartland FC is evident through his performance statistics this season.
Serving as captain under Emmanuel Amuneke’s leadership, Afolayan participated in over 1,350 minutes of play, contributing to seven clean sheets.
His presence proved instrumental, with the team conceding merely eight goals during his appearances.
Attempts to establish a fresh memorandum of understanding between the clubs proved unsuccessful.
Dino Sporting Club reports sending representatives to Owerri for negotiations, but claims they encountered resistance from Heartland FC officials.
While these allegations remain unverified, the situation escalated when the season commenced without a formal agreement or FIFA Transfer Matching System registration.
The breakdown in negotiations ultimately led Dino Sporting Club to recall their player mid-season.
This decision came after what the club describes as multiple unsuccessful attempts to finalise a new loan agreement with Heartland FC.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
