The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has imposed a decision to ban Ittihad Tanger from summer signings, due to unpaid dues to the Senegalese player Al-Hajj Youssouf Konaté. The amount owed is 5.5 million dirhams, putting the club in a difficult position ahead of the new football season.
The management of Ittihad Tanger is now obliged to pay the mentioned amount to be able to register the new players the team has already signed during the current summer transfer window. The new signings include Badr Eddine Abair from Hassania Agadir, Senegalese players Papacar Sar and Ibrahima Dieng, in addition to Bosnian Senad Jarovic, Botswanan Gabi Mohutsiwa, Reda El Milyani, and Osama Al-Siddiqi, all of whom are awaiting the resolution of the signing ban to participate with the team.
Thus, the northern representative joins the list of Moroccan clubs that have been penalized with a transfer ban by FIFA, becoming the fourth team from the top division of the professional league to face this situation after Wydad Athletic, Nahdat Berkane, and Difaâ El Jadida, amid intensified enforcement of clubs’ financial commitments.
It is noted that Ittihad Tanger had a positive season last year under the leadership of coach Abdelhaq Benchika, successfully moving away from the bottom of the standings. The management aims to strengthen the team with distinguished players to deliver better performances in the upcoming season, which requires urgently resolving the transfer ban issue to ensure the team’s stability and competitiveness.
