These days, when the media reports a player missing in action for a football club, it usually refers to poor performance during a match, unavailability due to injury or personal problems.
It so rarely happens that the player in question has excused themselves from training sessions and match-days without permission from the club administration. Sure, we hear the occasional reports about a player taking such unsanctioned breaks – Victor Osimhen had such issues in his second season at Napoli and even Lionel Messi took a brief vacation to Dubai without a go-ahead from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023. But, at any rate, such reports are few and far between, and for good reason.
This time, the reports have come from the Nigerian Professional Football League. Katsina United striker Uche Collins has been unavailable for communications since February 22, 2026, missing training sessions and matches in tow without any correspondence or permission from the club.
While he returned into action against the El-Kanemi Warriors on March 15th, there are questions around Collins’ disappearance: what happened, and what does this mean for the club.
What Happened?
Reports came in about Collins’ silence after Katsina United’s goalless draw against Rangers International, after vacating his accommodations at the club without prior request or notification to the club. He also refused to respond to club communication channels in clear breach of his contract, as the club chairman Surajo Baba noted.
The club administration admitted receiving rumours that their striker is in talks with a European club at the moment, dispelling alternative explanations that the player was kidnapped. This forced the club to threaten legal actions against the player and any club that enters into contractual agreements with him during his time away from the club in their public address.
Suitors Hovering Around Uche?
Prior to his disappearance, the striker last scored for Katsina United in their 4 – 4 draw against Wikki Tourists. In that match,his hat-trick kept his side in the game before he was penalized with a second booking and summarily sent off the pitch.
Before that hat-trick, Collins netted a brace against Abia Warriors to seal a 2 – 0 win early in February. Along with his position atop the NPFL goalscorers’ list, it is clear that Collins is a man in form, and he won’t be without a shortage of suitors from other clubs aiming to get his signature. To date, Collins has scored 10 goals in 25 matches this season, level with Godwin Obaje of Rangers International and el-Kanemi Warriors’ Daddy Abdulrahman.
19, 19, 14, 17, 18; each figure represents the highest goals scored in the Nigerian Premier League for the past five years. Judging by these numbers, it is highly likely that Katsina United won’t be able to hold onto their striker for long, if he keeps his red-hot form.
Collins’ Absence and Club Impact
Collins’ goals have earned Katsina United up to 14 of their 39 points this season, with the striker netting match-winners and equalizers all season for the North Central side. Such contribution outlines his relevance to the team, and they seemed lost without him in the two matches for which he was absent.
To reiterate the point, both losses came against off-form, relegation-threatened teams, Remo Stars and Kwara United. 2 – 0 and 2 – 1 losses to Remo Stars and Kwara United seem like situations that Collins could have turned around if present on the pitch. In his absence, Katsina has slipped from 9th to 11th on the NPFL standings.
What Next for Collins and Katsina United?
The future is anyone’s guess as it stands. Collins quietly returned to the starting line-up against el-Kanemi Warriors, providing the assist for Senegalese forward Massally Boubacar to put Katsina United ahead in the 44th minute.
While the match ended in a draw through a leveller before the end of the first half, Uche Collins’ contributions to the game further accentuate his relevance in the team. We can expect that the club and the player resolve their sporting issues internally, but the rumours of a potential exit, especially one where the player could be transferring to Europe, will undoubtedly bring unease to the Katsina United administration and fanbase.
It remains to be seen if they can hold on to their striker longer than this season. For now, attention turns to the final eight games in the league, as Katsina United will look to land a respectable finish to their campaign. They host Shooting Stars on March 23rd, before a short trip to Kano to face Barau FC.
