FIFA initiates disciplinary proceedings against GFA

 The world football governing body, FIFA, has initiated disciplinary proceedings against the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for failing to comply fully with a decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

This comes after Hearts of Oak failed to pay over GHC 106,000 to former player Francis Adjetey, following a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) earlier this year.

Adjetey accused the club of unfairly terminating his contract and failing to honour its obligations, prompting him to seek redress at CAS.

According to an official letter from FIFA’s Legal and Compliance Division, dated June 3, 2025, the GFA “did not comply in full a decision passed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) (the Decision).”

FIFA identified this as a potential breach of “Art. 21 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC) – Failure to respect decisions.” The GFA has been granted “a final deadline of 30 days as from the present proposal becoming final and binding in which to pay the amount(s) due and to enforce the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) decision.”

The letter warned that “upon expiry of the aforementioned final deadline and in the event of persistent default or failure to comply in full with the Decision, 20% of the next FIFA Forward instalment due to the Respondent will be withheld by FIFA until the amount(s) due to the Creditor are paid.”

Additionally, FIFA threatened escalated sanctions if the GFA continues to default: “If, after the first withholding, payment has still not been made pursuant to the Decision, a further 20% of the next FIFA Forward instalment will be withheld by FIFA and, at the Creditor’s request, the matter may be referred to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee for further measures.”

The GFA has been given the option to either accept the proposed sanction or submit its defence.