Zambia international Justin Shonga has seen his lucrative transfer to Botola Pro side Maghreb de Fès cancelled on the day he was set to arrive in Morocco.
Shonga, 25, verbally agreed to a two-year contract with an option to extend, worth around R4.2-million, with the club looking to offer him a chance to revive his career in North Africa.
Having been released by Sekhukhune United last month, the likes of Marumo Gallants, Algerian Ligue 1 champions CR Belouizdad and Fès had all opened talks with the player but the Moroccan top-flight club acted swiftly as they identified him as a player who could lead their line in the 2022/23 season.
Shonga had received his visa ahead of his proposed arrival on Friday and a routine medical check was organised for Saturday before signing the contract and his official unveiling.
However, iDiski Times has learnt the player insisted that his Zambia-based agent travels with to complete the deal, who had not been issued a visa to enter the country – while traditionally Moroccan clubs have opted not work through intermediaries and not player agents.
The management of Fès informed Shonga that should he not arrive on the scheduled date they would pull the plug on the transfer despite already offering a commission fee for the agent of up to R1-million.
It’s now been communicated to the player and agent that they should look elsewhere after the insistence of the representative being present during the signing of the contract and a late push to increase the sign-on fee.
