Royal AM‘s financial woes have deepened, with players reportedly refusing to train due to unpaid December salaries and a postponed match against Chippa United.
This follows a series of well-documented issues, including a FIFA transfer ban over a R15 million debt to Samir Nurkovic and a SARS raid on club president Shauwn Mkhize’s properties in November.
Mkhize reportedly owes SARS nearly R40 million in tax debt, impacting the club’s operations. SABC Sport has learned that Royal AM requested the postponement of their weekend fixture against Chippa United, which was granted, although Chippa claims they were not informed of the reason.
Royal AM players, last seen in a 3-1 loss to TS Galaxy on December 29th, were expected back in training earlier this week but have not reported for duty due to the salary dispute. This strongly suggests they would have been unavailable for the Chippa game regardless.
The situation is critical, with SARS potentially moving towards liquidating the club to recover the tax debt. FIFA is also monitoring the situation closely regarding the Nurkovic debt, with possible sanctions including point deductions or even liquidation if Royal AM continues to defy the ruling.