The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed Kaizer Chiefs’ appeal against their Fifa-issued two-window transfer ban on Tuesday evening.
Amakhosi were handed with a two-window ban by Fifa for the supposed illegal transfer of their former player – Andriamirado ‘Dax’ Andrianarimanana – from Fosa in Madagascar.
Chiefs thought they were signing the midfielder on a free loan, but Fosa insisted they had a binding contract and deserved compensation from the Soweto giants which resulted in the ban from Fifa.
The sanction was handed out in February 2020 and banned Chiefs from registering new players over the next two transfer windows. They were ordered to pay Fosa nearly R700,000 in compensation.
Chiefs have since taken the case to the CAS in an attempt to get it overturned, but due to a backlog in cases caused by the coronavirus they are still awaiting an outcome.
The Soweto giants lodged an appeal to Cas last month and the court has since released the following statement on the matter, which reads:
'The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) has issued its decision in the appeal filed by the Malagasy player Andriamirado Aro Hasina Andrianamimanana (the Player) and the South African club Kaizer Chiefs FC (collectively, the Appellants), against the decision rendered by the Fifa Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) on 5 December 2019 (the Challenged Decision),' a statement read.
'In such decision, the Fifa DRC noted that the Player and Kaizer Chiefs entered into a new contract when the Player was still under contract with Fosa Juniors FC/Madagascar. Given these circumstances, the Fifa DRC concluded that the Player unilaterally terminated the Employment Contract with Fosa Juniors FC without just cause.'
'As a consequence, the Player was ordered, together with Kaizer Chiefs FC, to jointly and severally pay a compensation of MGA 157’572’000 (approx. USD 40’000) to Fosa Juniors FC.'
'In addition, a four-month period of ineligibility was imposed on the Player, and Kaizer Chiefs FC was banned from registering any new players either nationally or internationally for two entire and consecutive registration periods.'
'The CAS Panel in charge of this matter has dismissed the appeal and confirmed the Challenged Decision in its entirety.'
