South African women’s football club, Msasa FC Ladies, has accused Namibian club FC Ongos Ladies of unethical behaviour, alleging the non-payment of transfer fees for Mbali Yalo. Yalo was deported from Namibia last year due to overstaying her visa.
Yalo’s signing in August was intended to bolster FC Ongos Ladies’ performance in the CAF Women’s Champions League and the FNB Women Super League. However, her deportation by immigration officials, due to a lack of a work permit, disrupted these plans.
Musawenkosi Buthelezi, club director and head coach of Msasa FC Ladies, told Confidente this week that FC Ongos Ladies owes them N$17,970.
“Yalo has returned to our club,” Buthelezi explained. “We’ve encountered several issues with FC Ongos Ladies. They owe us money and have blocked us on WhatsApp. They paid the player (Yalo) but refuse to reimburse us for costs incurred during her transfer. They also refuse to provide contact details for their chairman.”
Buthelezi stated that an initial agreement of N$15,000 covered two players (Yalo and Tatu) but after Yalo’s deportation, FC Ongos Ladies offered to pay only the preparation costs for one player, amounting to N$10,000. “They terminated Yalo’s contract and paid her for two months,” Buthelezi added.
Msasa FC Ladies is yet to determine what action it will take against FC Ongos Ladies, as communication attempts have been unsuccessful.
Buthelezi further claimed that FC Ongos Ladies’ refusal to pay stems from their dissatisfaction with Yalo’s performance. “FC Ongos Ladies told us we sent them the wrong player, so they want to avoid paying the N$15,000 transfer fee, plus the N$2,970 preparation costs. We even reduced the amount, but they still blocked us on WhatsApp. The person I coordinated everything with blocked me,” Buthelezi said.
Ongos Valley, which acquired a controlling stake in the then Tura Magic Ladies in 2023, now owns FC Ongos Ladies.
Ongos Valley’s public relations department, through Abed Erastus, declined to comment at this time. “I do not have answers for you at this time. We will have to revert back,” Erastus stated in response to Confidente’s inquiry.
FC Ongos Ladies head coach, Shama Gure provided a different version on why Yalo is not part of his squad, after saying that the players has struggled to cement a place in the squad due to competition from the local players.
“Well, truth be told, her performance did not meet the required standard, and she was unable to fulfill the expectations set for her role within the team. Despite efforts to integrate her into our system, she did not quite gel as we had hoped.
And in comparison and competition with players of the pedigree of Juliana Blou (now at Julinho Athletic), Thomalina Adams, and Elmarie Fredricks, she struggled to match the level of performance and adaptability required to contribute effectively. 
Given these factors, the decision was made in the best interest of the team’s overall cohesion and competitiveness. However, it is worth mentioning that we are in touch with her and keeping a close eye on her development, and we look forward to giving her an opportunity in the near future,” Gure told Confidente.