A legal battle involving a R1.25 million commission has emerged in South African football, with Bafana Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane being mentioned in a dispute connected to his appointment at Iranian club Esteghlal.

The case was brought before the Johannesburg High Court by Iranian football agent Hamed Ghadiri, who is seeking payment for his alleged involvement in arranging Mosimane's move to the club.

According to court documents cited by the Sunday Times, Ghadiri claims that Moira Tlhagale's sports management company, MT Sports Marketing and Management, gave him the responsibility of opening discussions with Esteghlal in October 2024 over the possible appointment of Mosimane and his technical staff.

He maintains that his efforts contributed to the Iranian club making an employment offer, which eventually led to Mosimane signing an agreement on October 18, 2024.

The disagreement centres on an alleged arrangement involving a $100,000 agency commission, approximately R1.6 million, expected from Esteghlal. Ghadiri claims MT Sports promised him $75,000, representing 75 per cent of the anticipated payment, in recognition of his contribution to securing the appointment.

However, he alleges that the agreed commission was never paid despite his involvement in the negotiations.

Ghadiri has also reportedly presented a WhatsApp message allegedly sent by Mosimane on February 28, 2025. According to his account, the coach assured him that the outstanding payment would be handled by his wife.

He further claims Mosimane indicated that the matter would be addressed after his salary disagreement with Esteghlal had been resolved through the appropriate football authorities.

However, Tlhagale and MT Sports have challenged important parts of his claims. While acknowledging that Ghadiri introduced Mosimane to the Iranian club, they argue that his authority was restricted to making the initial contact and determining whether Esteghlal was interested in the coach.

They deny that he was authorised to negotiate contracts, finalise agreements or collect agency payments.

The company maintains that further negotiations were conducted by FIFA-registered agent Alfonso Leon Lleo alongside Tlhagale.

Another disputed issue concerns the service agreement Ghadiri relies on. MT Sports reportedly questions its validity, arguing that it was not properly signed by the relevant parties.

The company also insists that payment to Ghadiri depended on first receiving the commission from Esteghlal, which allegedly failed to settle the expected amount.

Mosimane's brief spell at the Iranian club ended in January 2025 following disagreements over unpaid salaries involving him and members of his technical team.

Source:

https://x.com/TimesLIVE/status/2116733397926031650