Accra Hearts of Oak has been placed under a transfer ban by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) following the club’s failure to comply with a directive to pay $70,000 to New Edubiase United FC.

The ban, in accordance with Article 15(1)(c) of the GFA Disciplinary Code, came into effect after Hearts of Oak missed the final deadline of 31st May 2025 to settle the amount.

The payment stems from a decision by the GFA Players’ Status Committee, which directed Hearts of Oak to pay New Edubiase $50,000 as an outstanding balance on the transfer of Salim Adams, plus an additional $20,000 representing 40 percent of an onward transfer fee.

Despite earlier acknowledgements of the ruling and a meeting between the two clubs in March to amicably resolve the matter, Hearts of Oak failed to honour the agreed terms per New Edubiase United.

JoySports understands that Hearts of Oak had asked Edubiase to write off the debt in the March meeting because the expected outcome for the transfer of Salim Adams had gone bad.

The Phobians were expected to make about a million dollars from his transfer to FC Cicinnati, but unfortunately, he could not make the cut and had to return to the country.

Prior to his departure, the club had agreed to pay New Edubiase United $120,000 for permanently signing the player, but paid $50,000.

In the March meeting between the two clubs, Edubiase had agreed to write off the debt because the business had gone wrong, but Hearts of Oak are believed to have failed to adhere to their side of the agreement, hence the club's insistence on receiving the outstanding $70,000.

Consequently, the GFA Disciplinary Committee, in a ruling issued on 8th May 2025, fined the club GH¢5,000 and gave it until the end of May to make full payment or risk facing sanctions including a transfer ban.

Portions of the decision sighted by JoySports' Muftawu Nabila Abdulai said:

"PURSUANT to Article15 (1)(c) of the GFA Disciplinary Code, failing to pay the amounts stated in Decision 1 and 2 above, the club shall suffer a transfer ban (both domestic and international) until full payment of the amount, should Accra Hearts of Oak SC fail to comply with the Decisions 1 and 2 on or before the deadline mentioned above.

"That in accordance with Article 15(2) of the GFA Disciplinary Code, Accra Hearts of Oak SC is hereby warned to comply with this Decisions strictly; failing which the sanctions threatened in Decision 3 above shall be applied automatically by the Ghana Football Association (GFA), its bodies or Committees, IT Department of the GFA and all departments of the GFA."

On 13th June 2025, New Edubiase United formally wrote to the General Secretary of the GFA, confirming that Hearts of Oak remained in continuous default beyond the stipulated deadline.

The club’s Chief Executive Officer, Alex Ackumey, in the letter, referenced Decision No. 4 of the Disciplinary Committee’s ruling and noted that the sanction under Article 15(1)(c) had become automatically applicable due to the club’s persistent default.

"For your information, Hearts of Oak is still in continuous default beyond the 31ST May 2025 deadline. In effect, the specified sanction in Article 15(1)(c) is applicable AUTOMATICALLY,and we deem it appropriate to alert you on DECISION No. 4, which is administrative.

"Many thanks for your cooperation."

Sources claim Hearts of Oak called Edubiase about a week ago to inform them that a $20,000 cheque was ready, but the club declined it.

Under the GFA’s disciplinary regulations, the transfer ban restricts Hearts of Oak from registering new players both domestically and internationally until the full amount is paid.

The regulation also provides for additional sanctions such as points deduction or relegation in the event of continued non-compliance.