Black Leopards chairman Tshifhiwa Thidiela has finally addressed all the drama that has accompanied the club's start to the season, which has its roots on a transfer ban imposed by FIFA.
Leopards are currently unable to register new players with the PSL for the 2025/26 season.
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This situation arose after they acquired the Motsepe Foundation Championship status of All Stars, in the process inheriting the latter's troubles with world football's governing body.
"The ban isn't necessarily related to a specific player or a payment issue. Just because it’s a FIFA ban, people assume that a player brought us to FIFA," explains Thidiela, speaking exclusively to KickOff.com.
"That’s not the case.
"It concerns a legal portal assessment that All Stars failed to complete. This assessment is essential for FIFA to properly distribute funds.
"For example, when a professional team signs a player from an amateur club, there’s a development fee that the professional club must pay to the amateur team. FIFA has introduced a legal portal where such payments are processed, and then FIFA distributes that money to the appropriate teams.
"So, FIFA is taking action against All Stars because they haven't completed the necessary assessment to establish this portal. No player brought All Stars to FIFA; it’s simply a process that hasn't been followed. If the assessment is completed, the ban will be lifted," he continued.
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Thidiela also explained that the challenge facing the club is that the assessment needs to be done by All Stars, not Leopards.
"We lack access to the All Stars portal, and those involved with All Stars are no longer part of football.
"However, we are attempting to communicate with FIFA to gain access to the All Stars portal. We have also stated that Black Leopards is not banned; it’s All Stars that is facing the ban.
"That’s where we currently stand."
Photo: Philip Maeta/Gallo Images
