Kotoko win case at FIFA
World football controlling body, FIFA, has rejected a $145,000 claim by Ismaily SC of Egypt against Kumasi Asante Kotoko over the transfer of striker Abdul Aziz.
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Instead, FIFA has ordered Ismaily to pay Swiss Francs 12,000 being the cost of proceedings by the FIFA Players’ Status Committee as requested by Kotoko.
The decision which was contained in a letter signed by the Deputy Secretary General of FIFA, Marco Villager, on October 11, 2016 on behalf of the Single Judge of the FIFA Players’ Status Committee, Geoff Thompson of England, said, “the claim of the Claimant, Ismaily SC, is rejected.”
“The costs of the proceedings in the amount of Swiss Francs 12,000 are to be paid by the Claimant, Ismaily SC, within 30 days as from the date of notification of the present decision,” it added.
The Egyptian club had dragged Kotoko to FIFA through the services of celebrated sports lawyer, Juan de Dios Crespos Perez, to pay $100,000 being the agreed transfer fee they would have paid to Kotoko for their striker Abdul Aziz, in addition to a $45,000 compensation for inducement of breach.
It also demanded for interest from July 17, 2014 when Kotoko released the player to Ismaily to date, as well as a ban on Kotoko from registering any new players (locally and internationally)for two entire consecutive registration periods.
Ismaily also demanded that Kotoko paid the entire cost of proceedings.
Briefing the Graphic Sports yesterday, Ashford Tettey-Oku, whose Offiside Consult represented Kotoko in the case, said the Ghanaian club opened negotiations with Ismaily SC in 2014 towards the transfer of Aziz.
However, a rival Egyptian club, Smouha FC, ‘outbidded and outsmarted’ Ismaily, leading to the player’s eventual transfer to Smouha.
But after a year’s legal battle, the FIFA Players’ Status Committee rejected all the claims by ismaily and upheld Kotoko’s defence.
