FCB Nyasa Big Bullets have said they will compensate their former Zimbabwean forward Ronald ‘Rooney’ Chitiyo with $15,200 (about K27 million) to escape a Fifa ban.
The Fifa Dispute Resolution C h a m b e r (DRC) on June 5 last year f i n e d the club $ 1 5 , 2 0 0 and banned
them from signing or registering new players for three consecutive registration periods.
But in an interview yesterday, Bullets Chief Executive Officer Albert Chigoga said the club had started the process of paying their former midfielder.
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“At no point did the club think we were not going to comply with the decision to pay. It is just that public interest has been growing on the matter,” Chigoga said.
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Initially, Bullets were given a period of 45 days to pay the fine to escape the ban but the club opted to challenge the decision. However, Fifa upheld the DRC’s ruling to compensate Chitiyo for breach of contract.
Chigoga could not give the exact time when the club would pay the compensation. “It will be very soon,” he said.
Fifa imposed the registration ban in September last year due to the club’s failure to settle the compensation.
According to a Fifa letter dated September 17, 2025, the ban remains in effect until the compensation is paid.
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“This aligns with standard Fifa practice for such financial sanctions. The ban is typically listed as ‘until lifted’ or with a capped period, and it is lifted immediately upon confirmation of payment and compliance,” the Fifa website reads.
Bullets had earlier engaged Chitiyo for an out-of-court settlement but the former Warriors star refused. Chitiyo was not readily available for comment yesterday.
Chitiyo played for Bullets for one season after joining them on a three-year contract at the start of the 2024 season. However, his contract was allegedly terminated before the start of the 2025 season.
Currently, the 33-year-old forward is playing for Green Fuel FC in the Zimbabwe Castle Lager Premier Soccer League.
Bullets are currently banned from registering new players. The international transfer window opened yesterday.
The club suffered another setback last week after South African side Venda recalled striker Babatunde Adepoju at the end of his two-year loan contract.
