Bruised Kaizer Chiefs brace for more misery

Fresh from the heartbreak of narrowly missing out on the Premiership title on the final day at the weekend‚ Kaizer Chiefs’ anguish will continue as they now shift focus to their Cas appeal against a Fifa ban.

Chiefs were banned by the world governing body in February from signing players in the next two transfer windows after the club was found guilty of signing midfielder Andriamirado “Dax” Andrianarimanana when the Madagascan already had a contract with Fosa Juniors in his home country.

Dax was suspended for four months and ordered to pay almost R640‚000 in compensation to Fosa Juniors by Fifa‚ while Chiefs were banned from buying players.

Chiefs launched an appeal soon after the ban and will know their fate on Wednesday as the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) hands down its ruling at a hearing at its Lausanne headquarters in Switzerland.

But the millions of Chiefs fans will have to rely on guesswork on whether the club remains confident of a positive outcome after spokesperson Vina Maphosa declined to offer a detailed comment on the eve of the hearing.

“We issued many statements and interviews when we lodged the appeal [in February]. Next comment will be on the outcome of the appeal‚” was all Maphosa would say on Monday.

It is not clear whether the matter will be heard virtually or the Amakhosi hierarchy and legal representatives will travel to Lausanne as Maphosa did not offer further details.

The ruling could have farreaching consequences for Chiefs after Premier Soccer League (PSL) chair Irvin Khoza announced in August that the new 2020/2021 season would start in the first week of October.

It would be a massive blow if the ban is withheld by Cas as Amakhosi pick up the pieces and enter a sixth straight season without winning silverware.

PSL chair Khoza also revealed the planned start date and transfer windows for the next season at a media briefing in August.

“The PSL registration window has been agreed by the executive committee to be September 22 to October 17‚” Khoza said.

“That is the first window. The second window will be Febru

We issued many statements and interviews when we lodged the appeal [in February]. Next comment will be on the outcome of the appeal

ary 1 2021 to March 1 2021. The start of the new season of the Premier Soccer League is presumed to be October 9.”

The four-month ban on Dax, 29, ended in June and the midfielder‚ now on the books of Black Leopards‚ has already featured in the bio-bubble for Limpopo.