Chippa put transfer issues on halt to focus on surviving relegation

Speaking to SA-FM™s Thabiso Mosia on Wednesday, Augustine Kwem™s agent Johnny Ogbah alleged that Chippa United will not be able to sign or register players as they were banned by FIFA following failure to pay Kwem an amount of R200 000.

Chippa chairman Siviwe 'Chippa' Mpengesi has responded to reports that indeed his club has received a transfer ban from FIFA following failure to pay the outstanding monies from the signing fee on Nigerian striker.

Mpengesi explains why they did not oppose Kwem™s application at FIFA.

œThe problem, the player-he left us when we sold him to TS Galaxy and he had agreed that whatever money that was outstanding he would have forfeited since the club organized a better deal for him

œBut after a year, him and his agent went behind our back to FIFA to claim that the club is owing them, so of course we didn™t defend it because FIFA is far away-you know, they were suppose to have use our local forum, so they received the order, and then they receive their payment so what is outstanding now, we are calculating the tax amount, how much is it, so that we know exactly how much is the small balance that we owe them Mpengesi explained.

It is not the first time that Chippa United has been handed a ban by FIFA, following failure to pay their players.

Two years ago, they were forced to pay some outstanding fees to Gaborone United after they had not paid more than R600 000 in transfers for the services of Botswana internationals Kabelo Seakanyeng and Thatayaone Kgamanyane

Currently the transfer window is closed to re-open from the first of July, and that is when Mpengesi is arguing that this is not an indefinite ban but it will be lifted once they have paid the outstanding amount to Kwem.

Chippa indicated that their focus now is on ensuring their survival in the PSL.

œBut it™s okay this is not a ban per se it™s just a suspension of registering, of course who are you registering now? What are you registering because the window is closed the league is not yet finished, so our focus now is to play our last game on Saturday-a must win game so that our survival Mpengesi concluded.

Chilli-boys will play their penultimate game of the season, against the relegation threatened Swallows FC in Dobsonville on Saturday.

By Velile Mnyandu