Bullets CEO breaks silence on FIFA ban, explains Chitiyo departure, payment delay, Club’s position

FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Chief Executive Officer Albert Chigoga has addressed the FIFA registration ban imposed on the club on September 17, 2025, while announcing plans to resolve the matter before the next transfer window.

FIFA imposed the registration ban on FCB Nyasa Big Bullets following the club’s failure to pay compensation to former midfielder Ronald Chitiyo. The ban prevents the Malawian club from signing new players until they settle a USD 15,200 (approximately K27.2 million) debt stemming from a breach of contract ruling.

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The controversy dates back to June 5, 2025, when FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber ruled in favor of Chitiyo, ordering Bullets to pay compensation within 45 days. Despite initially vowing to contest the FIFA order, the club failed to meet the payment deadline.

In an official letter dated September 17, 2025, FIFA’s Head of Disciplinary Americo Espallargas informed the club that the “financial obligation towards Ronald Chitiyo” remained unpaid. The registration ban affects both international and national player registrations and will remain in place “until the amount due is paid and for a maximum duration of up to three entire and consecutive registration periods.”

The Football Association of Malawi has been directed to implement the ban immediately, preventing the club from registering new players at the national level.

Speaking to Wa Mpira, CEO Albert Chigoga confirmed the club’s intention to pay the fine before the January transfer window to avoid disrupting their plans.

“We have seen that determination by FIFA. It’s a conditional determination because the ban is conditional—it says if Bullets fail to pay. So we are committed to pay the fine. If we pay, that means the ban will be lifted,” Chigoga stated.

READ MORE: FIFA bans Bullets from registering players

Chigoga maintained that Chitiyo’s departure was handled through mutual agreement, expressing surprise at the subsequent legal action.

“When Ronald Chitiyo was leaving FCB Nyasa Big Bullets, we mutually terminated his contract. There was an agreement by both parties—Bullets and the player—to terminate the contract on mutual consent,” he explained.

The CEO revealed that when Chitiyo requested clearance to join another club, Bullets complied in good faith, unaware of the player’s intention to pursue legal action.

“Little did we know that at the back of his mind he was thinking of suing Bullets for terminating his contract. He proceeded to sue us through his representatives at FIFA,” Chigoga said.

Chigoga criticized FIFA’s handling of the case, claiming the organization made its determination without properly hearing the club’s side of the story. When Bullets requested the grounds for FIFA’s decision and responded with their defense, they were told they could only appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“Looking at what we can spend by appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport compared to what we are supposed to pay, it is not consequential for the club to proceed with that option,” he noted.

The club attempted to negotiate directly with Chitiyo’s representatives but was told the only acceptable resolution was through FIFA’s determination.

Chigoga defended the original contract termination, citing performance issues as the basis for their decision.

“We terminated the contract by following the agreement—the performance-based contract that the player signed with Bullets. His performance fell short of our expectations,” he stated.

The CEO emphasized that the delay in payment was due to ongoing negotiations with the player’s representatives, not financial inability.

“We delayed to pay the fine because we were still talking to the player’s party to negotiate outside the court. Our position is to pay the player before the next transfer window so that we should not be distracted from our targets,” Chigoga concluded.

The club now faces the challenge of resolving the matter within the coming months to ensure they can participate fully in the January transfer window and avoid further complications to their squad-building plans.