Why Chiefs’ Ban Appeal Upheld

Why Chiefs’ Ban Appeal Upheld
Posted: 28 October 2020

South African Premiership side Kaizer Chiefs received the worst news an hour thirty minutes before their league game against Chippa United.

The Soweto club; rich in history, tradition, and serial winners of national trophies from league titles to knockout competitions, were dealt a major blow when the Court of Arbitration for Sports upheld the decision to uplift their transfer ban.

The club became the first in the history of South African football to be banned from recruiting new faces in this window and the next, which will come as a major setback for new manager Gavin John Hunt.

The Soweto-based side, alongside their two transfer window ban, have been ordered to pay $40 000 (R650 000) to Fosa Juniors Football Club.

Chiefs, known in South Africa for their lively playing gears and winning history, were found guilty for failing to pay Madagascan side Fosa Juniors a transfer fee for their former midfielder, Andriamirado Aro Hasina Andrianarimanana in the summer of 2018.

A source close to Chris Wheatley said;

“It was a surprise wasn’t it? The ban to be upheld, really was if I’m being brutally honest with you. I understand their first time offenders, a massive club in Africa nevermind South Africa. Their boss is a former top player who dazzled in America a couple decades ago and you’d expect sympathy would you not?

“The situation here has been pretty dire; the club always believed their clear of any wrongdoing, they always maintained that but CAS saw otherwise,” concluded the source closer to CAS.

Baba Mali Traore, a multiple-award winning Journalist, said;

“Shock, shock my friend Karabo, shock. The least was a fine, a fine…(Pauses)…je pense qu’ils essaient d’envoyer une forte déclaration d’intention (I think they trying to send a strong statement of intent)

“It’s a shame, it’s a shame, but I think…ils méritent au moins une punition moindre (they deserve at least a lesser punishment),” concluded Baba Mali.

We understand that the reason the ban was upheld was due to the way Kaizer Chiefs treated Fosa Juniors Football Club in the infant stages of the deal; refusing to pay the transfer fee in installments and registering the player without consent from his former club.

The Beautiful Game tried to contact a club official but they referred us to a statement they released on their social media platforms.

Article By;
Chris Wheatley, Baba Mali Traore and Selebalo Karabo Phasha.