In a groundbreaking legal win for African football development, Ghana’s prestigious Right to Dream Academy has successfully overturned a FIFA ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding the allocation of solidarity fees from the high-profile transfer of Ghanaian forward Ernest Nuamah. The decision, which reassigns hundreds of thousands of euros in development payments, sets a vital precedent for African academies seeking justice in global transfer dealings.
The dispute centred on the €25 million move of Nuamah from Danish side FC Nordsjaelland to Belgian club RWD Molenbeek in 2023—a deal structured with a mandatory loan to French giants Olympique Lyonnais, both clubs owned by American investor John Textor’s Eagle Football Holdings. The deal became the most expensive sale in Danish Superliga history.
Under FIFA’s solidarity mechanism, 5% of the total transfer fee is earmarked for the clubs that trained a player between the ages of 12 and 23. However, in this case, FIFA allocated those payments not to Right to Dream—the academy that developed Nuamah from age 10—but to Stadium Youth Club, a defunct Ghanaian grassroots side that had worked with the player only between ages six and eight.
The Lausanne-based CAS ruled that FIFA’s decision was based on flawed data from its Transfer Matching System (TMS), which incorrectly listed Stadium Youth Club as the primary development institution. CAS found that this mistake deprived Right to Dream of substantial development compensation and instructed FIFA to reassign the funds appropriately.
Legal Victory Reshapes Development Compensation Standards
The verdict marks a major victory for Right to Dream and potentially for other African academies facing similar bureaucratic setbacks. According to the ruling, the academy is owed a minimum of €283,919 from the initial Molenbeek transfer, with more expected once Lyon finalises their obligatory purchase in 2024.
Right to Dream’s legal team, led by renowned Danish sports attorney Jes Christian Fisker, successfully demonstrated that the academy provided Nuamah’s core footballing education and mentorship during the critical development window recognised by FIFA rules.
“The ruling is a game-changer,” a legal insider familiar with the case revealed. “For once, an African academy has shown that with the right legal backing, it’s possible to challenge global football institutions and win. This could inspire other clubs across the continent to audit and contest similar cases.”
Nuamah’s Complex Path to the Top
Ernest Nuamah’s rapid rise to European football stardom began when he joined Right to Dream at age 10, following two formative years at another local club, Real Soccer Angels FC. According to an earlier interview Nuamah granted to AfricaSoccer.com, he never received structured training at Stadium Youth Club beyond his early childhood.
Despite their limited involvement in his growth, Stadium Youth Club was listed as the main recipient of solidarity funds—primarily because FIFA’s system was not updated to reflect Nuamah’s actual career trajectory. Worse still, the club had already ceased operations, meaning any funds owed to them would have reverted to the Ghana Football Association by default.
Right to Dream had already honoured its obligations to Real Soccer Angels by paying them a resale share of nine million Ghanaian cedis for their role in Nuamah’s early discovery. This gesture further demonstrated the academy’s commitment to fairness and transparency in the football ecosystem.
FIFA’s Oversight and CAS’s Rebuke
FIFA argued that it had followed procedure based on existing records in its TMS database and denied any wrongdoing. But CAS ruled otherwise, criticising FIFA for failing to verify the accuracy of development data—particularly for players coming from regions where digital record-keeping is still evolving.
“FIFA’s system is only as reliable as the information it contains,” the source close to the case explained. “When those records are inaccurate, clubs like Right to Dream suffer. CAS has now made it clear that due diligence cannot be ignored, especially when millions of euros and years of youth development are at stake.”
This decision stands out as one of the rare occasions FIFA has been overruled by CAS in a youth development dispute. It underscores the need for football’s governing body to reassess how it manages transfer data and validates claims made under its solidarity payment mechanism.
Implications for African Football Academies
Right to Dream’s triumph is more than just a financial win—it’s a powerful statement about the growing credibility and importance of African football academies on the global stage. The ruling exposes the systemic vulnerabilities that African clubs face, especially when player data is incomplete or misrepresented in international systems.
“This is about justice, not just money,” said a source within the academy. “These funds are critical for running youth programs, scouting talent, and improving infrastructure. When they’re misallocated, it directly affects the future of young players back home.”
With Nuamah’s permanent move to Lyon expected to be completed soon, Right to Dream is likely to receive additional solidarity payments under corrected conditions. Meanwhile, the player continues to impress in Ligue 1 and remains a key part of Ghana’s national team setup. His rise mirrors that of several other Right to Dream graduates, including West Ham star Mohammed Kudus, Brighton’s Simon Adingra, and Kamaldeen Sulemana of Southampton.
A Landmark Moment for Football Fairness
This CAS ruling could have ripple effects across the football world, particularly for clubs in Africa, Asia, and South America where youth player records are often lost or underreported. By challenging FIFA’s data and proving their rightful claim, Right to Dream has paved the way for others to seek accountability and fairness in the global transfer market.
The case serves as a reminder that no club—regardless of geography—should be left behind in the rapidly commercialising world of modern football. And thanks to this legal victory, development academies across Africa now have a stronger foothold in the global football conversation.
For Right to Dream, it’s more than just a legal win—it’s a validation of their mission to transform lives through football, education, and opportunity. And for Ernest Nuamah, it’s a story of integrity, loyalty, and a return of rightful recognition to the academy that helped shape his career.
