Clubs in blame game over players’ contracts

Some football club officials have said players ruin their career by overlooking their clubs and breaching contractual obligations.

The revelation comes hot on the heels of news that players such as Martin Masoatheka, Gasha Mphizi, Pilirani Makupe and Asedi Ajasi had their football career halted indefinitely for signing for other clubs without the consent of their team Civo United.

In the 2012 TNM Super League season, Harvey Nkacha, Mustapha Salimu and Tony Chitsulo also faced a similar experience.

Super League of Malawi (Sulom) and Football Association of Malawi (FAM) state that a player can only start negotiating a transfer with another team six months before the contract expires. But this has not been the case with six players.

Lured with military employment, Masoatheka and Mphizi joined Mafco while Makupe, Ajasi, Nkacha and Salimu moved to  Kamuzu Barracks (KB).

To make their case more complicated they entered into negotiations and signed for the two teams without the consent of their teams.

Civo United general secretary Rashid Ntelera said in an interview that it was unfortunate these players overlooked transfer regulations and opted for quick relief.

He said in line with the guideline of Sulom and FAM they (Civo United) could easily have refused to negotiate the sale of the players.

“They (players) know exactly what is contained in their contracts and also Sulom and FAM guidelines. But decided to take a chance and join other teams without our consent. In fact, we have been lenient. These players could not play football for a year and six months, if we were to follow transfer regulations,” said Ntelera.

“But we thought about the future of these players knowing that they depend on football for them to earn a living and it is not good for us to stand in their way. That is why we negotiated for these army teams to pay for the players. But it is surprising that they are failing to pay. We won’t compromise on that until they pay,” said Ntelera.

Epac owner Dini Josaya Banda, who has lost the bulk of his players to Army teams, has blamed KB team manager Francis Shaba of unbecoming behaviour for enticing his players by promising them employment.

Banda has on several occasions threatened to quit sponsoring Epac due to poaching by Army teams.

Airborne Rangers owe Epac K3 million after enticing Stein Malata and Noel Mlelemba with military employment. The two players are yet to feature for Airborne Rangers because Epac have written Sulom not to clear them until they pay.

Last year, Epac lost three players Wonderful Tumeyo, Alex Nkhwazi and Vincent Mphepo to Kamuzu Barracks.

Defender Mphepo then told his uncle Innocent Kaundula that he had approached Kamuzu Barracks.

“Vincent has a new family, but he had no dependable income to support his new family (wife and a child). He complained to me that he saw no future at Epac and wanted to move on. We approached KB officials and met with Mr. Shaba (Francis) who recommended the player to KB management,” said Kaundula.

“We do not force players to join us. Even in the case of Wonderful Tumeyo. He was brought here by his sister Yamikani Tumeyo who is a police officer,” he said.

Meanwhile, all the four players have already started military training.

A former Civo United player said when some officials of a military club approached him, he agreed because they offered him outright employment.

“I was thinking of my future. Sometimes I could stay for months without getting our dues at Civo. Of course I know about transfer rules and the fact that I had a contract but I had to move out. I was thinking about my future after football,” said the player who is now a fully trained soldier and employed by the Malawi Defence Force (MDF).

Kamuzu Barracks manager Shaba said it is not a requirement for army teams to buy players, but what they did was offer the players jobs.

“These players struggle a lot to meet their financial obligation and that is why they approach us. They want employment. It’s not like we entice them,” he said.

But in an interview Sulom president Innocent Bottomani said with the current guidelines teams are equal and there are no special favours.

He, however, lamented that some football teams only involve Sulom when things are not working.