Richards Bay FC representative Kabelo Mashigo has disclosed major details on Abdi Banda’s FIFA case, which led to the club’s transfer ban.
The Natal Rich Boyz recently found themselves under a FIFA-imposed transfer ban after they were said to have not fulfilled their financial obligations to Banda.
The FIFA ruling stated the club would be barred from international transfers for three registration periods. However, in less than a week, the club released a statement announcing the lifting of the ban.
According to Mashigo, the case stemmed from Banda’s complaint to FIFA, claiming unfair dismissal after the club opted not to exercise the option in his contract at the end of the previous season.
Mashigo stated that Banda alleged the club owed him R1.7 million, which even included salaries for the 2024/25 season – a campaign not part of his contract. The club’s representative said that FIFA had dismissed the initial case. However, the governing body did find that Richards Bay owed Banda R53,000 and instructed the club to pay this amount.
Mashigo explained that delays in payment then led to FIFA imposing the transfer ban on the KZN side.
RICHARDS BAY REP ON BANDA – ‘HE WAS CLAIMING R1.7 MILLION’
“Banda was employed for a season [2023/24] and the club had an option to exercise for another season, being this current season,” said Mashigo during the interview with FARPost.
“The club didn’t exercise the option, and they informed him that the employment relationship had ended at the end of the [previous] season. What Banda then did, he exercised the option himself. He told the club he exercised the option, and he’s employed by the club for this season. He indicated that we [Richards Bay] were not exercising the option, which meant we were terminating the contract, and it was an unfair termination.
“We explained that it was an option and [if we don’t exercise it], that’s the decision we are entitled to make. And then he referred the matter to FIFA. We defended the matter.
“He was claiming about R1.7 million, and that included the 2025/26 season [next season], which was not even part of the contract. We had to defend all those things.
“And then FIFA said, ‘Banda, your claim is dismissed, however, there’s a portion of your 2023/24 season that was not paid, about R3 000’. And there was an amount which we didn’t pay because of PAYE tax, that certain amount that you have to withhold. He claimed that it was unpaid salaries. So, in all, it was R53 000 that FIFA said we must pay him.
WHAT DELAYED RICHARDS BAY TO MAKE PAYMENT
“I took it up on myself to enquire about his banking details so that the payment could be made. But when you file a claim with FIFA, there’s a form that you fill in so that you set out your banking details.
“But because he’s a foreigner, sometimes you get that he was a Chippa United and he has that bank account and when he leaves, he closes that bank account.
“Six months later, when you make payment to that bank account, it says he’s no longer using it. And that delays things further when you try to confirm payment was made. They [bank] would never agree to the payment because essentially he didn’t have it [bank account], but you sent it to the account.
“That took long, in between this process, he went to FIFA saying he wasn’t paid that amount we were ordered to pay. And that was done without our knowledge.
Mashigo says they only discovered the club had been banned before even receiving a notification from FIFA or SAFA.
“We only saw in the media with SAFA also confirming that there was a ban that had been implemented on the club. I was then instructed to make a payment to that account we have on the file and lodged to FIFA to say we made the payment.
“We requested the ban to be lifted. I followed up with his lawyers to also confirm to FIFA we paid the money and that the ban can be lifted.”
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