Dstv Premiership outfit Chippa United FC has been handed a transfer ban by the Federation Internationale de Football Association (Fifa) for failure to pay money owed to Tanzanian player Abdi Banda.This means that the club will not be allowed to sign up new players for a certain period of time.

UNPAID SETTLEMENT

The Chilly Boys, as they are affectionally known, are being punished over an unpaid settlement with their former player Banda. This means Chippa won’t be able to register new players in the upcoming January transfer window, should they not reach a settlement agreement and pay the region of R1.2 million owed to the Tanzanian currently playing for Richards Bay. A statement released by Fifa’s Head of Judicial Bodies Julien Deux read, "We wish to inform you that a ban from registering players internationally has been implemented by Fifa today. Moreover, and in accordance with the aforementioned decision, the respondent’s member association is requested to immediately implement on the respondent, the club Chippa United F.C, a ban from registering new players national level."

OTHER TRANSFER BAN

This is not the first time the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld a transfer ban against a South African team. In 2020, Fifa banned Kaizer Chiefs from signing players for two seasons. Amakhosi were handed a two-window transfer ban for acting improperly when signing midfielder Andriamirado ’Dax’ Andrianarimanana from Fosa FC in 2018. The Soweto giants refused to pay the transfer fee demanded by Fosa and instead claimed that they were an amateur club and therefore no fee was required to sign the player.