Bullets question Peter Banda’s Tanzania deal

FCB Nyasa Bullets have questioned reports from Tanzania that their winger Peter Banda has agreed a three-and-a-half-year deal with that country’s top-flight league side Singida Fountain Gate.

The 22-year-old player rejoined Bullets on a four-month contract in August following a mutual termination of his deal with Tanzanian giants Simba Sports Club.

According to Tanzania media reports, Banda has been offered $80 000 (about K136 million) as signing-on fee by the club, but the player could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

But Bullets chief administration officer Albert Chigoga said the player is still contracted to the club until December 31 and, therefore, it would be a breach for him to sign a deal before then.

He said: “I have heard about this, but I would like to believe that it is not true because a professional club cannot sign or approach a player who is on a running contract with another club. This applies to the player as well.”

On the benefit of the doubt that the player might have penned a pre-contract, Chigoga said: “That is something we want to follow up with the player to get to the bottom of the issue.”

But Football Association of Malawi club licensing manager Casper Jangale said it would not be surprising for any club to agree terms with the player since he has less than six months before the expiry of his contract.

He said: “He is free to talk to any club and can sign a pre-contract, but it can only be a problem if he signs the actual contract because that has to happen after December 31.

“As of now, there is no request for his [Banda].” clearance in the system.