Ethiopia Premier League side Jimma Abar Jifar FC have been hit with a transfer ban by FIFA after they failed to pay Ghanaian goalkeeper Daniel Agyei his owed entitlements.
On 15 April 2020, FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber judged that Jimma Aba Jifar is supposed to pay Agyei a compensation for some breaches of his contract.
According to the judgment passed on 15 April 2020, Jimma Aba Jifar was asked to provide documentary evidence demonstrating they have complied with their obligations. The 2018 Ethiopian Premier League champions have since failed to submit any documentation to prove they have settled the former Black Stars goalkeeper the owed entitlements.
Jimma Aba Jifar has been banned from registering any new players either nationally or internationally for the next three transfer windows. The aforementioned ban will only be lifted immediately after the amount due Agyei has been fully paid.
Asked about how such drastic measures could be taken without the knowledge of Ethiopian Football Federation, General Secretary Baheru Tilahun told reporters that no information about the new development ever reached his office. Though Agyei’s case flagged up by FIFA for being a foreign footballer, many local players are still complaining that their overdue monthly salary is not yet paid. The Hadiya-Hossana players are the latest to voice their complaints for a four months overdue salary.
Agyei was voted the 2018 Ethiopian Premier League season Best Goalkeeper of the Year after steering Jimma AbaJifar to win the ultimate in only their first season in the top flight.
FIFA bans Aba Jifar over unpaid Daniel Agyei entitlements
Tanzania League permits ten foreign based footballers
AZAM FC has lauded the government for upholding recommendations made by stakeholders to enable domestic clubs to sign a maximum number of ten foreign based players.
According to Information, Culture and Sports Minister Mwakyembe, 82.8 per cent of the opinions gathered suggested that the number of foreign based players to be signed by a domestic club should remain unchanged at ten.
He added that eight per cent of the collected opinions proposed that there should not be limit to sign foreign players provided the concerned clubs have financial muscles to take care of them.
Reacting to this was Azam FC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abdulkarim Amin ‘Popat’ who said the government decision to allow clubs to sign ten foreign players are good news for them.
“It is a great decision, otherwise, the clubs to have been affected if the government chose to trim the number could be us (Azam), Simba and Young Africans because we have more foreign based players. “We have received the decision wholeheartedly and we thank the government for listening to opinions made by football fans in the country,” he said.
He added that in their squad, currently, only two places for foreign based players are available to complete the maximum of required ten players while insisting that they are in the final stages talking with the remaining ones.
About domestic signing, Popat said there is only one place remaining for a Tanzanian and that it will be sealed as quickly as possible.
According to him, the squad is already on the ground preparing for the next season, while revealing that each player, upon being signed, is going straight to camp.
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ECA launches Price Watch Centre for Africa
The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has launched a first-of-its-kind continental tool that offers a unique view of price variations in African countries, regional economic communities and at continental level.
During the virtual launch on 11 August 2020, ECA Executive Secretary, Vera Songwe, noted that the role of national statistics offices and national revenue authorities in ensuring that this platform has timely, accurate & up-to-date data will be crucial.
She cautioned that the “lack of price data to enable us monitor, analyse and manage economies through informed policy decisions has often led to civil unrests” because when prices of things like food, oil, and energy go up, “people take to the streets.”
The initiative intends, therefore, to bring the prices and exchange rates of all African countries into one platform that’s readily accessible to citizens, decision makers and other stakeholders. The platform will involve monthly, quarterly and annual analyses of inflation.
The launch was chaired by Ghana’s Vice President, Mahamudu Bawumia, who applauded ECA for the initiative, stating “this one-stop-shop for finding data” will go a long way to “increase ECA’s relevance in Africa.”
“We need data on price movements to gauge how changes in consumer prices alone may be affecting the trends in income distribution, poverty levels and inequalities, including especially among those who live on retirement incomes,” said Bawumia.
He pointed out that “as we open the doors to continental free trade, price level data will enable across-country comparisons and understanding of regional markets and the competitiveness of producers across Africa.”
