Former Kaizer Chiefs star opens disciplinary case against SAFA & PSL over unpaid R15 million wages

When Royal AM signed former Kaizer Chiefs striker Samir Nurkovic as a free agent in 2022 and awarded him a two-year deal with a one-year extension option, it was all fanfare.

But things took an unprecedented turn not long after the deal was confirmed when the KwaZulu-Natal outfit, now defunct, terminated the star's contract just after three months.

The battle escalated all the way to FIFA and the Court of Arbitration, with the Serbian winning the case against the then Premier Soccer League club.

In July 2023, Royal AM were handed a transfer ban by FIFA for unlawfully terminating their contract with Nurkovic. When the club signed Nurkovic, it was reported that the striker was to be paid R420 000 a month.

According to KickOff, Nurkovic, now at Siwelele FC, was only ever paid once – an amount of R245,943.91 on November 11, 2022 – through his time with the club and had a bill of approximately R11.2 million to him when Thwihli Thwahla sank.

Nurkovic's package was R5 040 000 [July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023] and then R5 280 000 for the second year (July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024). For the optional year (July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025), they would have earned R5 520 000.

The Serbian won against the club; the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber ruling in April 2023, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee decision in July 2023, the CAS award in October 2024, and a further FIFA Disciplinary Committee ruling in January 2025 were all in his favour. Failure to pay, FIFA ruled, meant Royal AM were to serve a three-window transfer ban.

Now, according to public broadcaster SABC Sports, Nurković has opened a disciplinary case against PSL and SAFA for their failure to enforce FIFA's order.

"SABC Sport can reveal that striker Samir Nurković has opened disciplinary proceedings against SAFA and the PSL, demanding payment of R15 million in outstanding wages following Royal AM’s expulsion," the publication reports.

"The Serbian forward, now on the books of Siwelele FC, argues that the two organisations failed to enforce a series of final and binding FIFA and Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rulings ordering Royal AM to settle the debt before the club ceased operations.

"At the heart of the dispute is what Nurkovic’s legal team describes as a systemic failure by South African football’s governing bodies to uphold international rulings."

Although all the FIFA and CAS judgements were final and not open to appeal, Royal AM failed to comply.

SAFA and PSL were required to invoke enforcement mechanisms available because, under FIFA regulations, national associations must ensure their member clubs comply with their decisions.