The world football governing body; FIFA has imposed a transfer ban on Kenya Premier League champions Gor Mahia, after the club failed to honor a debt owed to Malian goalkeeper Adama Keita.
The Zurich-based body, brought the decision to light on Wednesday, stating that K’Ogalo failed to meet the regulations set, with the player who featured for the club in 2021 having initially been awarded 4.4 million shillings by the Disputes Resolution Chamber as compensation following a contractual breach.
Earlier in the year, the chamber directed Gor Mahia to pay Keita- consequently- instructing the Football Kenya Federation to slap Gor with a local A payment plan which was drafted by legal representatives of both parties in March last year. It stipulates that Gor would pay US$ 15,272 in penalties if they failed to clear the debt by April 30 2023.
Gor would fail to honour the payment plan, forcing FIFA’s hand on the matter.
Keita penned a two-year deal with Gor Mahia in August 2021, where he would feature in several matches before the wrangles started in May 2022, after which he would appeal to FIFA citing K’Ogalo’s breach of contract owing to accumulated wages spanning several months.
He would subsequently quit the club in July 2022, with the DRC ruling in his favour in November of the same year, awarding him 4.4 million shillings in compensation, including a 5 percent interest.
The ban would be lifted in March 2023, after Gor came up with a payment plan which saw them disburse an initial $16,000 to the player with a promise of $14,544 to be reimbursed by April 2023.
Keita would file a case with FIFA on April 30th 2023, seeking payment of the remaining amount including accrued penalty.
John Njuguna
