FIFA lift ban on Yadah

Petros Kausiyo

Zimpapers Sports Hub

PREMIERSHIP outfit Yadah Stars were late on Friday left a hugely relieved lot after the world football governing body, FIFA, lifted the transfer ban imposed on the club in July last year.

Yadah had been forced to start the 2025 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season with a depleted squad, having two substitutes in their opening game against Manica Diamonds at Sakubva Stadium and just one for their brave goalless draw against Chicken Inn at Heart Stadium in their Match Day 2 assignment. Coach Ikabort Masocha can now call on more arsenal after his club’s management paid in full the amounts that were owed to three Brazilian players — Joao Pedro Marques Barcellos, Juan Luciano Faria and Deivid Pereira de Brito.

The dispute between the club and the players had spilled into the FIFA disciplinary corridors, with the world body imposing a ban for three transfer windows on Yadah and barring the Harare side from registering any new players, international or local.

Yadah had initially paid US$40 000 towards clearing the debt before settling the balance of US$44 000.

Zimpapers Sports Hub has also established that the Footballers Union of Zimbabwe played a key role in assisting Yadah to get an immediate lifting of the FIFA sanctions once they cleared their arrears.

And the world body, through the head of the disciplinary committee, Américo Espallargas, confirmed to ZIFA that the sanctions on the Miracle Boys had now been lifted.

Espallargas wrote three similar letters to each of the affected players.

The correspondence relating to Barcellos read in part: “. . . We refer to the above-mentioned matter and acknowledge receipt of the correspondence filed by Joao Pedro Marques Barcellos (the creditor), a copy of which is available in the FIFA Legal Portal.’’

“We take note from the mentioned correspondence that the creditor has received the amounts due by Yadah FC (the respondent) in accordance with the decision passed by a body, a committee, a subsidiary or an instance of FIFA or the Court of Arbitration for Sport as described in these proceedings,” wrote Espallargas.

“As a consequence, we inform you that the present proceedings against the respondent are hereby closed and its ban to register any new players has been permanently lifted.

“As such, the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) is hereby requested to immediately lift the ban imposed on the respondent at national level.’’

FIFA also clarified that their decision was only limited to the matter between Yadah and the Brazilians and would not affect any sanctions or cases between the club and ZIFA.

Yadah are not on any other sanctions from ZIFA, which means the FIFA move has allowed the Miracle Boys to secure licences for players like King Nadolo, who had been training with them while awaiting a resolution on the transfer ban.

Masocha desperately needed more manpower for Yadah’s away trip to newboys MWOS at Baobab Stadium yesterday. The lifting of the Yadah ban comes just days after Bulawayo giants Highlanders, who were also in a similar predicament, had their sanctions lifted by FIFA.

Bosso could not register players at the start of the season as they had been suspended from doing so for failing to pay their former coach, Brazilian Baltemar Brito, whom they owed US$26 500.

Highlanders were eventually bailed out by businessman and philanthropist Wicknell Chivayo, who settled their dues to Brito, paving the way for the lifting of the ban.