AFC Leopards might not play in the CAF Champions League even if they win the FFK Premier League title this season.
Ingwe have a realistic chance of going joint top with KCB should they beat Mathare United on May 27, a position, which if they maintain, until June 30, will see them represent Kenya at the continental stage next season.
But the latest warning by FIFA could see the former Kenyan champions, who last won a league title 23 years ago, miss the chance to play continental football even if they lift their first league silverware since 1998.
FIFA, in a stern letter to the club warned that Leopards, a perennial offender, risks point deduction, a ban from signing players and at worst, relegation to the lower tiers, if it fails to pay close to a half a million fine.
Ingwe were ordered to pay Sh450,000 fine to former coach Marko Vasilvejic for wrongful dismissal.
“AFC Leopards is found responsible for failing to comply in full with the decision passed by the single judge of the Players’ Status Committee on 12 January, 2021,” read a statement by the Fifa Disciplinary Committee.
“AFC Leopards is ordered to pay coach Marko Vasiljevic as follows; USD 3400 as outstanding remuneration plus 5 percent interest p.a as from 11 March 2019 until the date of effective payment.”
The Serbian who took over from Nikola Kavazovic, was relieved of his duties on February 3, 2019 on grounds of poor performances.
But this is not the first time that Ingwe have been slapped with a fine over such cases. Early this year, FIFA awarded Vincent Habamahoro Sh1.8 million over breach of contract.
The FIFA committee also awarded coach Andre Cassa Mbungo Sh6 million after the Rwandan also reported Leopards to the Fifa Disciplinary Committee over breach of contract.