Fifa slaps AFC Leopards with two-year transfer ban

Fifa has informed Football Kenya Federation (FKF) not to register new players at AFC Leopards for the next two years effective June, Nation Sport can reveal.

This is after the FKF Premier League club defaulted on a ruling by the world football body's Dispute Chambers Resolution to pay Rwandan midfielder Vincent Habamahoro Sh1.8 million in accrued wages, fines, and damages in January.

The ruling was released by Fifa in January and Leopards were supposed to pay within 15 days, but they failed to.

"We take due note that in its correspondence, the Creditor (Habamahoro) informs us that the Debtor (AFC Leopards) has not complied with its financial obligations in accordance with the decision of Fifa," Fifa's correspondence, seen by Nation Sport, reads in part.
 
"In this regard, 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 (June).
 
Moreover, and in accordance with point 9. of the aforementioned decision, Debtor´s member association (FKF) is requested to implement on the Debtor at the beginning of the next registration period, a ban from registering new players at national level."

Fifa's correspondence is copied to Football Kenya Federation (FKF), Kenya's national football body, which is mandated to register all new footballers in the country.

But the ban will be lifted unconditionally if Leopards pay up the player.

Habamahoro joined Leopards in 2018, but quit after five months after going for four months without pay. He then took up the matter with Fifa.

Leopards got into trouble for refusing to pay Habamahoro his salary for four consecutive months in 2018. 

The midfielder, now attached to Rwanda's Kiyovu SC, then forwarded his case to Fifa as a last option and went on to win the case.