Delhi club accused of using foreign player in State league; Football Delhi refutes claim

The “foreigner” in question previously played for clubs like Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting and recently came off a two-year ban.

In the latest dramatic instalment of the Delhi Football League, City FC emerged victorious over Delhi Tigers Football Club with a commanding 5-1 win at the Ambedkar Stadium. The standout player of the match was City FC’s #10, Christopher Chizoba, who scored hat-trick, including two penalties, to lead his team to victory.

However, Chizoba, known for his stint with Mohun Bagan during the 2013-14 I-League season and his appearances for various clubs in the Calcutta Football League, finds himself at the center of controversy. The losing team, Delhi Tigers, have raised questions over his eligibility to participate in the match citing he is a foreign national.

The club alleged that Chizoba is a Nigerian and should not be eligible to play in the league going by the rules set by the All India Football Federation, which prohibits foreign players from participating in state leagues. Reportedly, this was Chizoba’s first match for City FC in the senior division.

CITY FC HUNTS DOWN THE TIGERS 🥶FT | DTFC 1️⃣ – 5️⃣ CFCChizoba Christopher from City FC grabs the Player Of The Match 🏆#footballdelhi #indianfootball pic.twitter.com/eTsfLbUKzL

— Delhi Soccer Association (@FootballDelhi) March 19, 2024

Delhi Tigers FC lodge complaint with Football Delhi

Delhi Tigers have also lodged a formal complaint with Football Delhi, questioning how Chizoba was registered for the tournament and allowed to play. The club have also demanded proof of his Indian citizenship and claimed that the said player’s details on the AIFF portal identified him as a Nigerian citizen.

A senior official of Delhi Tigers informed Khel Now, “We have registered a complaint with Football Delhi. We have mailed them asking for proof of his Indian citizenship because as per the details of the player in the AIFF Portal, he is a Nigerian citizen. Based on that we should be awarded three points from the game.”

Football Delhi’s clarification

The state football governing body, however, mentioned that a provision in the rule book for state leagues allow foreigners to play.

Jagdish Malhotra, a senior official at Football Delhi, clarified that there is a provision allowing foreign players to participate if they are married to an Indian citizen and have lived with their Indian partner for at least 183 days in the past year. Malhotra also claimed that both teams were informed of Chizoba’s eligibility during a pre-match meeting.

“There is a rule wherein a foreign player is allowed to participate if a player has married an Indian citizen and has lived with his Indian partner for at least 183 days in the past year. We allow two such players from each team. Both teams were informed of the same in the pre-match meeting (Match Commissioner Meeting) on the participation of the player (Christopher Chizoba),” Malhotra told Khel Now.

Sources deny existence of such provision

However, sources with knowledge of the situation dismissed Jagdish Malhotra’s explanation, stating that AIFF rules strictly prohibit foreign players from competing in state leagues, regardless of marital status. They argued that even if a foreigner meets the residency requirement, they must officially change their nationality to Indian, including obtaining a new passport.

A source tracking the scenario told Khel Now, “As per AIFF rules, foreigners are not allowed to play in the state league. A foreigner is identified by passport only, not even Aadhaar. Even if he is married to an Indian woman, he has to change his passport. Moreover, this is also the violation of FRRO rules.”

Khel Now approached AIFF for comments on the matter and awaits a response.

This is a growing story which we will update with further developments.

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