The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) has ordered Ghana Premier League giants Accra Hearts of Oak to pay GH¢106,000 to their former player, Francis Adjetey, by July 7, 2025.
This decision follows a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
In a decision dated February 26, 2025, CAS ordered the Ghanaian club to pay the amount with an annual interest of 5% backdated to September 15, 2023.
After reviewing the case, FIFA’s CAS ruled in favour of the player, directing the Phobians to settle the amount within the stipulated period or face possible sanctions.
Hearts of Oak, one of Ghana’s most historic football clubs, now faces the risk of a transfer ban or other disciplinary actions if they fail to comply with FIFA’s directive within the 30-day window.
Hearts of Oak has been ordered to pay CHF 1,000 to cover the player’s legal expenses, as originally determined by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
In addition, the club has been fined GHS 20,000 by the Committee for failing to comply with the CAS ruling within the stipulated timeframe. A final deadline of July 7, 2025, has been set for the club to fully settle all outstanding payments.
Failure to meet this deadline will trigger an automatic transfer ban, both domestically and internationally, which will remain in effect until the debt is cleared.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has warned Hearts of Oak to strictly comply with the directive, emphasizing that enforcement actions will be applied automatically without further hearings if the deadline is missed.
This action comes in the wake of disciplinary proceedings by FIFA against the GFA.
In a letter dated June 3, 2025, FIFA’s Legal and Compliance Division accused the GFA of failing to enforce the CAS decision, which could amount to a violation of Article 21 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.
FIFA has warned that 20% of the GFA’s next FIFA Forward funding instalment will be withheld if the payments are not completed within a final 30-day window.
