FIFA bans French side Lorient for cheating Ghanaian club over Wakaso transfer

FIFA has handed a transfer ban on promoted French side Lorient for failing to pay Ghanaian lower division club Cheetah FC it’s part of the transfer amount for midfielder Alhassan Wakaso, Ghanasoccernet.com can exclusively reveal.

The newly-promoted Ligue 1 club were supposed to pay the third tier Ghanaian side a part of the transfer fee as solidarity compensation after the transfer of the player.

Les Merlus signed the Ghana international in 2017 from Portuguese top-flight side Rio Ave FC but they defaulted in the statutory payment.

In 2017, Kasoa-based Cheetah FC hired Ghanaian expert Ashford Tettey Oku of Offside Consult who dragged the Brittany-based side to FIFA’s Players Status Committee and then the Disciplinary Committee.

It was not until May 5, 2020, when the Disciplinary Committee gave FC Lorient Bretagne up until June 5, 2020, to pay solidarity plus 5% interest of about € 10, 000 or face immediate and automatic transfer ban.

On Monday, June 8, 2020, Tettey Oku wrote to FIFA and the France Football Federation to trigger the process until they make payment.

If they persist, Offside Consult will move for points deduction/demotion.

If a player is transferred before the expiry of his contract, any club that has contributed to his education and training shall receive a proportion of the compensation paid to his former club.

Source: Ghana Soccernet