Kaizer Chiefs banned from signing new players

HARARE – The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) has upheld a decision by the Fifa Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) to bar South African football giants Kaizer Chiefs from registering new players in the next two transfer windows.

In 2018, Kaizer Chiefs improperly signed up Andriamirado “Dax” Andrianarimanana even though he was contracted to Malagasy side Fosa FC for another month. Fosa repeatedly asked Kaizer Chiefs to at least pay a singing-on fee, but Kaizer Chiefs claimed the team from Madagascar was an amateur club and this unentitled to such payment. Fosa then sought recourse at the DRC.

In December 2019, the Fifa organ ordered Kaizer Chiefs to pay Fosa about US$40 000 and banned the Soweto-based club from signing new players for two consecutive transfer windows. Dax was slapped with a four-month ban from football.

Kaizer Chiefs and Dax approached CAS for reprieve, insisting that Fosa could not signing-on fees as it was an amateur team. CAS – the highest dispute resolution board for sports in the world – rejected the appeal and upheld the DRC’s decision.

“The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Tuesday issued its decision in the appeal filed by the Malagasy player Andriamirado Aro Hasina Andrianamimanana (the player) and the South African club Kaizer Chiefs FC (collectively, the appellants), against the decision rendered by the Fifa Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) on 5 December 2019 (the challenged decision).

“In the decision, the Fifa DRC noted that the concerned player and Kaizer Chiefs entered into a new contract when the player was still under contract with Fosa Juniors FC/Madagascar. Given these circumstances, the Fifa DRC concluded that the player unilaterally terminated the employment contract with Fosa Juniors FC without just cause. “As a consequence, the player was ordered, together with Kaizer Chiefs FC, to jointly and severally pay compensation of MGA157 572 000 (approx USD40 000) to Fosa Juniors FC. “In addition, a fourmonth period of ineligibility was imposed on the player, and Kaizer Chiefs FC was banned from registering any new players either nationally or internationally for two entire and consecutive registration periods. The CAS panel in charge of this matter has dismissed the appeal and confirmed the Challenged Decision in its entirety,” reads a CAS statement.