Kidnapping SCANDAL rocks TP Mazembe, Malian striker Fily Traore reports club to FIFA
Malian striker Fily Traore has reported TP Mazembe to FIFA accusing the DR Congo giants of kidnapping and using armed thugs to confiscate his two travelling documents to prevent him from leaving the country, AfricaSoccer.com can exclusively report.
This comes just days after the world governing body ruled in favour of the player in his dispute with Mazembe, allowing the star to leave the club to join Libyan side Swehli.
Infuriated by the decision to rule in favour of the Malian star in his quest to leave the DR Congo giants, officials of Mazembe are alleged to have seized his passport of the footballer to prevent him from leaving the club.
Backed by his agents, Traore has written to FIFA, asking the world governing body to intervene and ask Mazembe to release his passport to enable him to travel to his new Libyan club.
Despite his stated desire to leave the club and join Swehli – a transfer which has already been approved by FIFA, Mazembe have named Traore to play their league match against FC Tanganyika on Tuesday in violation of FIFA rules.
The intense disagreement has led to the star writing to FIFA to state his concerns and desire to have the world governing body to intervene in the matter urgently.
“I hereby request your urgent intervention for the recovery of my passport confiscated by the TP Mazembe club.
“Although FIFA has ruled in my favour and I have been officially registered with Club Swehly since 12 September 2024, TP Mazembe has summoned me for the match scheduled for Tuesday 15 October 2024 at 15:30 in Kalemie against the local club FC Tanganyika,” Traore wrote in his official complaint to FIFA filed on Monday.
“Moreover, I am no longer allowed to participate in this match as long as my current registration is with Club Swehli. As a result, I am forced to travel by plane with the team, although I have neither the intention nor the desire to participate in this match.
“FIFA has also conducted an investigation into this situation, and the passport matter has been transferred to the disciplinary committee.
However, despite this intervention, my passport is still being withheld.
“On October 12, 2024, a media manager from the club assured me that he would return my passport to me in the afternoon, but he has not answered my calls since, leaving me in a situation of uncertainty.
“I ask you to kindly intervene to facilitate the return of my passport and my departure from the DR Congo as soon as possible.
“I wish to continue my professional career serenely with my new club and put an end to this situation that is handicapping me.”
The Mali embassy subsequently issued Traore with an emergency travelling document to allow him to join the Libyan side but he was prevented from at the Kinshasa airport on Sunday night and by Monday morning the travelling document was also confiscated by two unidentified armed people believed to be connected to the club.
This has prompted the Libyan Embassy in DR Congo to send an official complaint to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of DR Congo asking them to intervene in the matter and get the player’s passport released.
“The Embassy of Libya in Kinshasa presents its compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Francophonie of the Democratic Republic of Congo/State Protocol Directorate,” the Libya Embassy said in it official complaint to the Ministry.
“The embassy has the honour of requesting that it kindly intervene with the Mazembe club to kindly return the passport of the player Fily Traoré, of Malian nationality, born on 15/06/2001, in connection with the MAZEMBE club who has joined the Swehli club of Misrata, Libya, following a FIFA decision in favor of the aforementioned player.”
Traore is a young Mali U23 international striker who joined TP Mazembe from CO Bamako four years ago and spent some time on loan at CS Don Bosco before returning to the club.
He was top scorer of the DR Congo championship last season, attracting a lot of suitors which included Algerian giants CR Belouizdad.
