FIFA has imposed a ban on Hoang Anh Gia Lai Football Club, which competes in Vietnam’s top-tier V.League 1, preventing them from registering new players worldwide due to a breach of financial obligations to a foreign player.

On Friday, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) promptly notified the club of the penalty, which FIFA issued on the previous day.

The ban applies both domestically and internationally.

According to VFF, compliance with the regulations is mandatory for Hoang Anh Gia Lai, and the penalty will only be lifted once the club fulfills its financial obligations to Ghanaian striker Martin Dzilah. 

Following FIFA’s decision, Hoang Anh Gia Lai’s name will be added to FIFA’s international player registration ban system, which is updated every Monday, alerting potential partners of the club’s current status.

A representative from Hoang Anh Gia Lai confirmed receipt of the VFF document and indicated that a response would be forthcoming. 

The club has also referred the matter to the Department of Public Security of Gia Lai Province, where the team is located, for investigation.

The situation arose after Dzilah, who joined Hoang Anh Gia Lai in October 2023, and the club mutually terminated his contract in February. 

The two parties reached a compensation agreement on March 21, with the club agreeing to pay Dzilah $20,000 after nearly a month of negotiations. 

Dzilah confirmed receipt of the amount in the official minutes.

However, Dzilah did not receive the funds in his bank account and subsequently asked his representative, Joseph Bannerman, to file a lawsuit with FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber.

On August 30, FIFA ruled that Hoang Anh Gia Lai owed Dzilah $29,000, including interest, and mandated that payment be made within 45 days. 

While the club did not make the payment by the October 14 deadline, it enlisted the help of the police to summon Dzilah for questioning.

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