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FIFA has imposed a registration ban on Zimbabwean club Ngezi Platinum Stars after it failed to comply with a ruling ordering it to pay nearly $200,000 to former coach Bongani Mafu.
In a letter dated December 17, FIFA’s head of disciplinary, Americo Espallargas, said the club is barred from registering new players until the debt is fully settled. The ban can last for up to three consecutive transfer windows.
Zimbabwe’s football association, ZIFA, has been instructed to enforce the sanction at the national level, effectively preventing Ngezi from signing players during the January transfer window.
The ban follows a FIFA ruling that Ngezi breached Mafu’s contract without just cause.
FIFA ordered the club to pay compensation of $196,750, plus five per cent annual interest dating back to 2022.
The decision was upheld last month by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which gave the club 45 days to comply. That deadline has now expired.
Meanwhile, Ndaba Nyathi of Touchwood Intermediaries, Mafu’s legal representative, said, “The implementation of this ban was the inevitable consequence of non-compliance with a FIFA ruling. Our client’s rights cannot be ignored indefinitely. We hope the club will prioritise settling this matter so it can focus on football.”
The case adds to Ngezi’s growing financial problems. Former coach Benjani Mwaruwari has also been awarded about $570,000 by FIFA in a separate unfair dismissal case, plus interest. Ngezi have appealed that decision at CAS.
Both Mafu and Benjani were dismissed in July 2022 after about three months in charge. If both rulings stand, the club’s total liabilities could approach $800,000 before interest.
FIFA said the registration ban will remain in place until the full amount owed to Mafu, including interest, is paid. It also warned that failure to comply within three consecutive registration periods could lead to further disciplinary action.
