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Covid-19 to affect Chiefs’ transfer ban appeal?

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  • Post published:March 18, 2020

The Covid-19 pandemic could be set to cause further upheaval at Naturena by very likely delaying Kaizer Chiefs’ appeal case with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, as they look to overturn their two-window transfer ban by Fifa.

The Glamour Boys were hit with the ban last month over the supposed illegal signing of Madagascar midfielder Andriamirado ‘Dax’ Andrianarimanana in 2018 from Fosa Juniors in Madagascar.

According to the ban currently in place, Chiefs will be unable to make any new signings until July 2021. This could prove very problematic, considering the recent departure of George Maluleka, while forward Leonardo Castro could also be set for an exit with his contract expiring in June and talks of a new deal proving difficult.

The club has since lodged an appeal before the CAS against the sanction and are hoping to have their ban overturned as they claim that the player was not under a professional contact as Fosa Juniours.

The Soweto giants revealed last week that the CAS had confirmed receipt of their appeal, and a 20-day window for response had been issued to both Fifa and Fosa.

Matters now look to be delayed by the coronavirus outbreak as Europe has shut down its borders to help prevent the spread and with the hearings set to take place at the Switzerland-based institution, courts has since postponed in-person hearings until May.

‘CAS will not host any in-person hearings before 1 May 2020, at the earliest,’ read a statement from the appeals body on Tuesday.

‘Depending on the circumstances of each individual case, the arbitrators and parties are encouraged to conduct hearings by video-conference or to cancel them [final award on the basis of the written submissions]. If such measures are not possible or appropriate, the hearings must be postponed until May 2020 or later.

‘Depending on the evolution of the Covid-19 outbreak, the prohibition of in-person hearings may be extended.’

The club could be set to try to conclude the hearings through video conferences and written submissions, but this will need Fosa Juniors’ permission to proceed.