BB CAF squad challenged

Blantyre United director Lawson Nakoma has challenged Big Bullets registration of Tizgowele Kumwenda and Victor Limbani on Bullets’ 24-member squad for the 2015 CAF Champions League.
Nakoma has since queried FAM, which released the unchanged Bullets squad on Friday through chief executive officer Suzgo Nyirenda.
Nakoma said the players’ season-long loan expired last season; hence, they belong to United.
“They were contracted for one season loan to Bullets and they have to come back to us. After the end of last season, I asked Kondie Msungama and Harold Fote about the players and they both said they were surplus to requirement.
“It is surprising that they have gone ahead to register them. We have since queried FAM over this and they said they were not aware of this,” Nakoma said yesterday.
Nyirenda confirmed that Nakoma approached FAM over the two players and the association asked him to negotiate with Bullets. Registration of additional players with CAF would cost Bullets $500 (K221 000)  each.
“It has to do with negotiations. The good thing is that the players have valid contracts with Blantyre United. The registration with CAF was done on the understanding that the two clubs would have agreed by the end of the month. We were playing it safe. We did not want to be seen as blocking the players in case the teams agree and we do not register them,” the FAM spokesperson said.
Bullets general secretary Fote disputed Nakoma’s assertions that the People’s Team deemed Limbani and Kumwenda as surplus to requirement “if they are [surplus] then why do we have them on our list?”
“When they loaned the players to us and the loan expired, we were supposed to be given the first option for offers and that is what we are waiting from Blantyre United. That is why we have registered them. They still have a contract,” said Fote.
Veteran winger Fischer Kondowe leads the squad of players from the side that won the 2014 TNM Super League championship.
Striker Brown Mizeye, who missed action last season has also been included ahead of the preliminary round, first away leg in Comoros Islands against Fomboni Club de Moheil. n