Mariga's Man City transfer suffers setback
Manchester City's deal to sign Parma midfielder McDonald Mariga has fallen through after the Kenyan international was not granted a work permit.
City attended an appeal at Wembley on Monday morning in an attempt to secure a permit for the 22-year-old.
Mariga, who has 24 caps for Kenya, met the criteria for appearing in 75% of internationals in the last two years.
But his application was rejected as Kenya are ranked 98th in Fifa's world rankings, outside the top 70 nations.
City can request a further appeal in a future transfer window but will not be able to register Mariga as a player in the current window.
A delegation from Eastlands travelled to the appeal, where a panel made up of representatives from the Football Association, Premier League and the Professional Footballers' Association, as well as some 'independent football experts' - usually ex-players - made their decision.
Parma and City had agreed a deal of around £7m for Mariga, who was hoping to become the first Kenyan to play in the Premier League.
He joined Parma on a permanent basis in the summer of 2008, after initially moving on loan from Swedish side Helsingborgs.
Mariga is under contract with the Serie A outfit until June 2012.
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