The last has not been heard about the controversy around the transfer of Victory Beniangba to Belgium side Genk from Egyptian outfit Cleopatra. A move which happened in the summer.
Celta Vigo president Carlos Mouriño announced that a deal has been agreee to sign the talented 19 year old, a move which was later confirmed by the coach of the B team Claudio Giráldez, who said all that is left is for the player to get a work permit.
However on the 28th of August, the agent of the player said a deal has been agreed for his client to join Belgium side Genk. A move which Celta contested with the club president owing to the statements made by president of the club on the 1st of August. “We have Victory who is a very young player, he will play for the B team but he has the abilities to play for the first team like Miguel Rodríguez “, Mouriño said.
Many thought the delay in having the player join the B team was triggered by work permit issues which they were hoping will be cleared before the first league game of the B team. It later turned out to be way deeper than that.
It was on August 28, with the 1st RFEF league ( League for B team in Spain) already on and the transfer market about to end, that the agreement with KRC Genk by Victory Beniangba’s agents was made public. Asked about it, Claudio Giráldez coach of Celta Vigo B team insisted that the 2021 Federation Cup winner with Bayelsa United belongs to the club
” I know he belongs to the club, he has signed with the club . We’ll see if he arrives on time or not. The club communicated that he was signed and, from there, let’s see what happens. It happens. There was a problem with the transfer issue. He is a player from outside. If he comes to contribute, great and, if he doesn’t arrive, then he doesn’t arrive. It’s not something that I have to put myself in”, he said at a press conference.
However the player didn’t arrive instead he returned to Nigeria with Genk also unable to announce his signing due to a dispute with his club in Egypt Ceramica Cleopatra FC of Giza. He was on loan to Tala’ea El Gaish when Celta Vigo announced his signing after scoring six goals in 18 games.
The complications made the deal to stall until the 18th of September when he played his first game for Jong Genk, the B team of Belgium top division side Genk. Cleopatra announced his departure on the 9th of September not minding the already agreed deal with Celta Vigo.
Since then, the forward has been getting in the dynamics Jong Genk, who are in the Belgian Challenger Pro League, the second division , he has scored three goals in eight games over 503 minutes of play. A form which further infuriated Celta Vigo.
Celta, maintained that all the papers including that of the agents and their club of origin showed he has been signed to reinforce Claudio Giráldez’s Celta B, and opted for diplomatic channels with all parties.
But after failing to reach an agreement, they have raised the case to FIFA justice . The last time the club had to resort to this drastic measure, they ended up winning the ‘Fede Varela case’ against Porto FC.
The Argentine midfielder, currently without a team, had left Celta B and landed in Portugal after a brief stint in Switzerland as a bridge club. Celta ended up receiving three million euros as compensation.
It remains to be seen what will happen in this case with Beniangba. In Celta they are surprised that he is playing for Jong Genk as nothing has changed in their position that he is their player.
They believed they duly signed the Nigerian forward and now want justice from FIFA to decide. An indemnity for Celta or a sanction on the player who could be denied from playing for several years. This is what the Vigo club expects to end up happening with the Nigerian .
The club is willing to defend their rights to the end and they trust in a resolution similar to the one they obtained with Fede Varela.
