May 25, (THEWILL) – Egyptian football club, Smouha SC, has been ordered by the world football governing body, FIFA, to pay Nigerian striker, Junior Ajayi, the sum of $70,000, following the club’s abandonment of the player after he suffered an injury in 2022.
The incident took place during a friendly match between Smouha and Canal in October 2022. After being left behind by the team, the 27-year-old forward took his case to FIFA for resolution. In response, FIFA has intervened and granted the Alexandria-based club a two-week deadline to compensate the Nigerian player.
Having dedicated his entire football career to North Africa, Ajayi initially joined Tunisian club CS Sfaxien in 2015, followed by a move to Al Ahly a year later. During his remarkable five-year tenure with Al Ahly, which is widely recognised as the most successful team in Africa, the talented striker secured two African Champions League titles.
In 2022, Ajayi agreed to join Libyan club Al-Nasr Benghazi before eventually making the switch to SC Smouha. Ajayi’s football journey commenced with the Nigerian Under-20 squad and later progressed to the U23 team, which achieved the bronze medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics football event.
The Nigerian forward’s commitment and accomplishments throughout his career have garnered recognition and respect. Now, he will add doggedness in pursuit of fair reward to his resume.
