The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) imposed a transfer ban on Ravshan Kulob, barring the club from registering new players for the next three transfer windows. The decision was announced on FIFA’s official website.
The ban comes as a result of a legal dispute between the club and its former player, David Mawutor, a Ghanaian midfielder.
According to FC Ravshan, Mawutor filed a complaint with FIFA's Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC), demanding compensation for unpaid financial obligations.
In March 2025, the DRC ruled in favor of the player and ordered Ravshan to settle the debt. Since the club failed to make the payment within the prescribed time, FIFA imposed disciplinary sanctions: a three-window transfer ban effective from the next registration period. This means Ravshan cannot sign any new players, domestic or foreign, until the debt is paid and the sanctions are fully lifted. The club must urgently resolve the matter with Mawutor to speed up the lifting of the ban. Otherwise, the restrictions may be extended, further damaging Ravshan’s international reputation.
What Is a FIFA transfer ban?
A FIFA transfer ban is an official prohibition on registering new players, imposed for breaches of contractual or financial obligations. Such a ban applies to both domestic and international transfers; prevents new players from being registered even if contracts are signed; and can be lifted early only if the club fully settles its debts.
This is not the first Tajik club to be sanctioned by FIFA this year. In March 2025, Istaravshan was also hit with a transfer ban following a complaint by Nigerian player Chidiebere Nwakali, who accused the club of unpaid wages and early contract termination without compensation.
Who Is David Mawutor?
The 33-year-old Ghanaian midfielder began his professional career outside Africa with Ravshan in 2012, later playing for Istiqlol. His career includes stints with Kazakh clubs Zhetysu, Shakhter, Aksu, Turan, Polish side Wisła, and Negeri Sembilan in Malaysia.
He returned to Ravshan in summer 2024, and in early 2025 moved to Khujand. Though he holds Tajik citizenship, he has never played for the national team.
In Tajikistan, Mawutor is known as a disciplined defensive midfielder with strong passing and a fighting spirit.
What’s next?
Ravshan management must immediately pay off the debt and submit proof to FIFA to request removal of the sanctions or continue operating under the ban, relying solely on current and youth players.
Failure to act may cost the club not only a place on the podium but also its credibility in the international football market, complicating future negotiations with foreign players.
Club’s response
In a comment to Asia-Plus, Ravshan stated that Mawutor acted improperly. According to the club, the player had two contracts: he rejected the first due to dissatisfaction with the terms and signed a second one, under which he received all due payments.
The club claims Mawutor later backdated the first contract and submitted it to FIFA arbitration, falsely asserting he was owed money under both contracts.
Ravshan says it has appealed FIFA’s decision, submitting all supporting documents, including payment records and a signed letter from Mawutor acknowledging that he had received all dues and had no further claims.
