Former Rivers United midfielder Joseph Onoja has finally dumped the team and the NPFL, joining Vietnamese club Becamex Binh Duong, leaving the management of the team stunned and lamenting.

 
The Port Harcourt-based team claimed the player disappeared without proper clearance, Footballrover reports.

Joseph Onoja, who remains under contract with Rivers United, left the team’s camp following his last official appearance during the Nigeria Premier Football League game against Plateau United on January 10, 2024.

Since then, Onoja has participated in three matches for Becamex Binh Duong against Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh (February 28), Hồ Chí Minh City (March 3), and Song Lam Nghe An (March 9).

Rivers United FC claimed that Onoja’s move was neither officially approved nor cleared by the club. 

They suspect that Onoja did not act alone, as securing his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) without the knowledge of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) seems implausible.

The club asserts that they have received no official communication regarding Onoja’s transfer, which raises concerns about potential assistance from accomplices within the NFF, a situation they condemn as unprofessional and unacceptable.

May the grace that brought us this far never leave us pic.twitter.com/dz1v5janJX

— Onoja Joseph (@onojajo) March 7, 2024

Footallrover understands that despite reaching out to the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) regarding the matter, Rivers United FC is yet to receive a formal response, leaving the situation unresolved.

The former NPFL champions have now urged the NFF and relevant football authorities to address this issue promptly and take appropriate action to uphold the integrity of the sport.

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