Halfway there! Cape Town Spurs block two players from joining Chiefs

It looks like a scandal is brewing in South African football.

Details: According to iDiski Times, Kaizer Chiefs were on the verge of signing two Cape Town Spurs players, Asanele Velebayi and Luke Baartman, but the Cape Town club has put a halt to the transfers.

Velebayi plays as a right winger, while Baartman is a central forward. Their performances last season caught the eye of Kaizer Chiefs, who had already agreed contracts with the players and were awaiting their arrival to finalize the paperwork.

However, Cape Town City forbade the players from leaving the club, arguing that they still have valid contracts.

Another Cape Town player, Liam Bern, was also affected by a similar situation. He was set to join AmaZulu but was also blocked from leaving.

In light of these events, we turned to the rules, which state:

"The players terminated their contracts under the status of 'Spurs', and according to the regulations of FIFA, NSL, and the South African Football Association (SAFA), all players participating in SAFA competitions are considered amateurs as per rule 13.1."

Another crucial regulation in this story is:

Rule 4.3.1.4 of the NSL statute stipulates: a player may appeal to the Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) to be declared a free agent if a member club ceases to exist under the jurisdiction of the league.

The NSL rules also specify that the organization representing the current club and its members (acting directors) cannot purchase another franchise for 12 months, which is likely an attempt by the club to retain its key players.

This situation adds yet another twist to the transfer saga involving players from relegated teams trying to make moves to South Africa’s top clubs.

Reminder: “It’s nice to be linked to big clubs.” Kaizer Chiefs-linked player comments on his future