Bongani Mafu scores big

Former Ngezi Platinum Stars assistant coach Bongani Mafu has won his long-running legal battle against the club after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld a ruling ordering the Mhondoro-based side to pay him US$196,750 for unlawful dismissal.

The decision, which confirms an earlier FIFA Players Status Committee ruling, marks a major victory for Mafu — and sets a powerful precedent for his former boss Benjani Mwaruwari, whose own US$600,000 claim against the club now appears likely to succeed.

Sources close to the matter said the outcome could cost Ngezi Platinum Stars over US$1 million in combined compensation and legal fees once both cases are concluded.

Mafu, who was appointed as Benjani's assistant in March 2022, was dismissed just four months later, in July 2022, after the team endured a poor run of results. His contract had been valid until December 31, 2026, meaning Ngezi's decision to terminate it prematurely triggered a breach of contract dispute.

Despite the club's claim that its technical team had failed to meet performance targets, FIFA records show that Ngezi repeatedly ignored official correspondence on the matter, weakening its legal standing.

The club, represented by BDP Attorneys of Cape Town, later appealed to CAS, but the effort quickly collapsed. On October 13, 2025, CAS arbitrator Kwadjo Adjepong ruled the appeal inadmissible, affirming FIFA's earlier decision made in September 2024.

According to CAS, Ngezi's appeal was submitted after the deadline, violating procedural rules. The arbitrator also dismissed the club's arguments about alleged communication failures and jurisdictional challenges, describing them as "inapplicable and unsupported."

In the ruling, CAS noted that Ngezi's failure to act within required timelines showed "a pattern of negligence" that made the FIFA ruling final and binding.

Under the order, Ngezi must now pay Mafu the full US$196,750 compensation package, along with part of his legal costs.

Mafu was represented by Pierre-Xavier Luciani of Luciani Avocats SA in Lausanne, Switzerland, while FIFA's interests were handled by Rodrigo Morais, Senior Legal Counsel at the organisation's Florida office.

Speaking from the United Kingdom, Mafu said he was "not yet in a position to comment" on the development.

Meanwhile, Benjani's pending US$600,000 claim — stemming from the same 2022 dismissal — is causing concern within the club and among its sponsors, who fear a financial fallout that could destabilize operations.

CAS, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, serves as world sport's supreme judicial body, and its rulings are final. For Mafu, the outcome ends a three-year legal fight that could have been avoided had the club opted for an out-of-court settlement.

The ruling also underscores growing accountability pressures on Zimbabwean clubs to honour contractual obligations — or face costly international sanctions and payouts.