South African Premier Division side Richards Bay FC have been handed a transfer ban by FIFA that takes effect immediately after failing to honour their financial obligations towards Kenyan international Ovella Ochieng.

An investigation by the International Federation of Association Football revealed that the club failed to honour their financial commitments to the Harambee Stars winger Ovella Ochieng despite a mutual agreement.

Ovella, who made his Harambee Stars debut in 2016 and is currently unattached, resorted to FIFA for his dues after initially agreeing to part away with the side last season.

Confirming the ban, South African site SABC Sport confirmed that FIFA had “updated their records to sanction Richards Bay by not allowing them to register new players internationally and have since also written to their member federation in the South African Football Association [SAFA] to do the same from a local level as well.”

With the development, Richards Bay are now the second team in South Africa’s top-tier league to be banned by FIFA after Royal AM were sanctioned for failing to pay striker Samir Nurkovic and defender Ricardo Nascimento.

Ochieng who has previously played for Marumo Gallants and Township Rollers, previously played for Kariobangi Sharks and Vasalund.

He made his international debut for Kenya in 2016, scoring his first-ever goal in a match against New Zealand in the Intercontinental Cup held in India, where Kenya won 2–1.

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