Exclusive: Samir Nurkovic launches disciplinary case against SAFA, PSL
28th February 2026
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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 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.
Four decisive judgments were issued in his favour: a FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber ruling in April 2023, a FIFA Disciplinary Committee decision in July 2023, a CAS award in October 2024, and a further FIFA Disciplinary Committee ruling in January 2025.
All were final, legally binding and not open to appeal but, despite this, Royal AM repeatedly failed to comply, while SAFA and the PSL allegedly declined to invoke enforcement mechanisms available to them.
Under FIFA regulations, national associations are duty-bound to ensure their member clubs comply with its decisions.
Nurkovic’s attorneys argue that SAFA’s inaction constitutes a breach of FIFA rules and undermines the authority of the world governing body.
The PSL, meanwhile, has acknowledged that it possesses the power to deduct outstanding amounts from clubs’ monthly grants in order to settle player debts – a mechanism regularly used in disputes involving domestic players.
However, in Nurkovic’s case, the league refused to apply the same measure, contending that it only applies to rulings by the local DRC structures and not to decisions from FIFA or CAS.
The player’s legal representatives reject this interpretation, insisting that the PSL Handbook allows deductions for all outstanding football-related debts, including those arising from international rulings.
In a submission seen by SABC Sport, they further point to a contradiction in the League’s position, noting that after Royal AM’s expulsion, the club itself proposed the use of the same deduction tool to settle debts, a method the PSL previously claimed was not applicable in Nurkovic’s case.
With Royal AM now defunct, Nurkovic is seeking to recover the R15-million directly from SAFA and the PSL, contending that their failure to act has left him without remedy.
His attorneys have also warned that the matter now transcends a simple contractual dispute, raising broader concerns about governance, accountability and equality before football’s global justice system.
