Kenya Premier League side AFC Leopards, have been banned from signing new players for the next two transfer windows.
A month and a half ago, they got a notification from the world football governing body FIFA, to pay Rwandan midfielder Vincent Habamahoro Kshs 1.8 million owed to the player.
The statement from FIFA says that the club cannot appeal the decision; the only way out is settling Habamahoro’s dues to have the ban lifted.
“We wish to inform the parties that a ban from registering new players internationally has been implemented by Fifa at the beginning of the next registration period,”
“Moreover, and in accordance with point 9. of the aforementioned decision, Debtor´s member association [Football Kenya Federation] is requested to implement on the Debtor at the beginning of the next registration period, a ban from registering new players at the national level,” the statement read.
Financial difficulties at the club in the 2019/20 season led to a mass exodus of the foreign legion at the 13-time Kenyan champions with only goalkeeper Benjamin Ochan remaining for the rest of the season. The club was not able to pay player salaries for three months and it was then that Habamahoro, now at Kiyovu Sports, decided to sue the club through local and international lawyers.
Club CEO Victor Bwibo hopes that they can settle the Rwandese dues early enough to avoid the lengthy ban.
“We had talked to the player but the matter was already on another level, we had to wait for the verdict from FIFA,” he said.
“We will definitely try to pay his dues in time to avoid this lengthy ban.”
Already riding high in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKF PL), a transfer ban is the club wanted at this moment. Bwibo is however confident that the club can work with the current crop of players until next season.
“We will have to look at other options including signing players from our youth team. This however is dependent on how fast we react to the current situation,” he quipped.
Earlier on this year, Gor Mahia and Wazito Football Club were also slapped with bans from FIFA for failing to pay the foreign players they had released from their squads.