Jigawa Golden Stars are grappling with a contract standoff as multiple reports indicate that players have refused to sign new agreements due to dissatisfaction over welfare conditions. The crisis comes at a critical time, with the 2025/2026 Nigeria National League (NNL) season fast approaching, disrupting the team’s preparations.
Sources close to the club reveal to WooSports News that several key players, now free agents, have cited poor welfare conditions as the primary reason for refusing to renew their contracts. “Many key players who are currently free agents have refused to sign new contracts with the team, citing poor welfare conditions, and this is a key factor disrupting the team’s readiness for the new season,” a source disclosed.
The issue of inadequate player welfare has been a recurring challenge in Nigerian football. In 2012, a similar crisis saw Jigawa Golden Stars players protest over unpaid sign-on fees. In 2025, the club’s junior welfare officer further highlighted welfare concerns in a Facebook post, bringing renewed attention to the problem. The current contract deadlock threatens to strip the team of its core talents, with competing clubs reportedly reaching out to first-team players yet to commit to new deals.
While the management has been restructuring the club, including the appointment of a new board led by Gambo Umar Labbo in October 2024, the welfare crisis could derail progress. The timing is especially precarious as the team prepares to face Yobe Desert Stars in the semi-final of the Gusau/Ahlan NNL Preseason Tournament on Wednesday morning in Bauchi.
Despite the turmoil, Jigawa has performed admirably in the ongoing Preseason competition under Coach Abdullahi Adamu. However, as the crisis drags on, it poses a serious threat to destabilizing the team’s preparations for the upcoming league season.
