FIFA okays Okwi''s move to Yanga

By Michael Momburi in Dar es Salaam

WORLD soccer governing body FIFA has finally cleared Ugandan striker Emmanuel Okwi to play for Tanzanian club Yanga.

The world soccer governing body ruled last Friday that the Mainland champions were free to field Okwi in local and international club matches, bringing an end to the controversy that had surrounded the striker’s move away from Tunisian side Etoile du Sahel.

“FIFA has finally cleared Okwi to play for Yanga in domestic and international club championships,” the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) secretary general, Celestine Mwesigwa, told the media.

“FIFA declared that the player has been cleared basing on the entire documentation remitted by the TFF,” he added.

A few weeks ago, the TFF advised Yanga not to field Okwi in any competition to allow it consult FIFA over his status. The TFF opted to halt the player’s registration exercise after the federation’s Legal, Ethics and Players’ Status Committee learnt that Okwi had been granted a six month provisional permit by FIFA to feature for Ugandan club SC Villa following disagreements with Etoile.

Okwi accused Etoile for breaching his contract. Simba on the other hand petitioned FIFA and TFF insisting that the player had to return to their stable since Etoile had failed to complete payment of his $300,000 (sh750m) transfer fee.

Okwi joined Yanga in December, last year after playing for Cranes in the CECAFA Challenge Cup in Kenya.

Despite featuring for Villa in the first round of the FUFA Super League, CAF did not permit the striker to feature in the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN). 

CAF pointed that the striker was ineligible because he was still on loan from Etoile.