Sofapaka pay price of wrongful player dismissals
Sofapaka midfielder Lawrence Juma (right) leads teammates in celebration after scroing the opening goal during their FKF Premier League match against Wazito at Dawson Mwanyumba Stadium in Wundanyi, Taita Taveta County on December 8, 2021. Sofapaka won 2-1.
What you need to know:
- This is the second transfer ban imposed on “Batoto ba Mungu” by Fifa over failure to pay departing players after a similar one at the start of the season in September that saw the club play their opening game against Nairobi City Stars with only three players on the bench. Sofapaka incidentally won the game, held on September 26, 3-1.
- However, the club settled the dues of Justin Mico and Moussa Omar over Sh1m and were allowed to sign new players before the November 3 transfer deadline.
Sofapaka chairman Elly Kalekwa has said that they will pay Sh1.5 million owed to Ghanaian striker Jedinak Nana Ameyaw this month after the club was slapped with yet another Fifa ban on Tuesday.
Fifa punished Sofapaka with a transfer ban for failing to pay Ameyaw his dues.
“I’m aware of the ban and we have no choice but to pay Ameyaw all his dues. It is something I’m working on so that I can clear with Fifa before the January transfer window opens,” said Kalekwa.
Ameyaw was released in January during a mass exodus of players due to financial instability.
Other who exited then were Jacob Faina, defender Bryson Juma, midfielders David Simiyu and Collins Wakhungu as well as custodian Isaiah Wakasala and Nigerian forward Michael Karamor.
This is the second transfer ban imposed on “Batoto ba Mungu” by Fifa over failure to pay departing players after a similar one at the start of the season in September that saw the club play their opening game against Nairobi City Stars with only three players on the bench. Sofapaka incidentally won the game, held on September 26, 3-1.
However, the club settled the dues of Justin Mico and Moussa Omar over Sh1m and were allowed to sign new players before the November 3 transfer deadline.
Industrial problems have bedevilled Sofapaka lately. The Fifa Dispute Resolution Chamber in March rejected a case Sofapaka filed against Kenya international John Avire over his controversial move to Tanta SC in Egypt 2019.
The chamber supported Avire’s decision to terminate his contract with the 2009 champions saying Sofapaka had not paid him his salary for more than two months.
“The majority of the members of the Chamber decided the player has shown cause to terminate his contract and concluded its deliberation by rejecting the claim of the claimant,” read part of the decision.
Sofapaka wanted Fifa to find fault in how the player left the club and were seeking compensation of Sh28.4 million from Tanta.
Kalekwa had in April protested the Fifa’s Players Status Committee decision to allow Tanta SC register the 2019 Afcon Kenyan striker.
