Fresh controversy over Tony Chitsulo
Silver Strikers have lodged a formal complaint to the Super League of Malawi (Sulom), arguing that Mighty Wanderers illegally featured diminutive forward Tony Chitsulo against Big Bullets as Silver did not clear him.
Chitsulo was thrown in as a second-half substitute for Omega Mhone and Nomads risk losing a point they earned in the TNM Super League Blantyre derby should it be established that Chitsulo featured illegally.
Silver general secretary Mike Tembo wondered how Sulom released Chitsulo’s card to Wanderers without their consent.
“We are suspicious of the process. Of course, Wanderers issued a K1.9 million (about $4 523) cheque after negotiations, but we made it clear to them that we would only issue the clearance upon getting a bank certified cheque.
“But I was surprised to hear during the live commentary on radio that they [Wanderers] had featured Chitsulo,” said Tembo.
On his part, Silver chairperson Dr McDonald Mafuta-Mwale stressed that as far as they are concerned, Wanderers featured the player illegally.
“We will find out from Sulom how Wanderers were able to register the player without our consent. Otherwise, our position is that they featured the player illegally and they have to be punished,” said Mafuta-Mwale.
Sulom general secretary Williams Banda admitted that there was an administrative anomaly which they will investigate to enable them to map the way forward.
But Nomads chairperson George Chamangwana said the fact that they were able to use Chitsulo meant he was cleared.
“Silver have no basis at all for their claims because payment was duly made on Friday through a cheque and they confirmed receipt of the same. Maybe it is just a way of frustrating us because of our decision not to sell them Francis Mulimbika. It is just football politics,” said Chamangwana.
However, Tembo’s letter dated Friday May 3 2013 addressed to Wanderers GS and copied to Sulom, reads in part: “I hereby write to acknowledge receipt of K1 950 000 (about $4 642) cheque from Mighty Wanderers Football Club, as a full payment for a transfer deal of Tony Chitsulo from Silver Strikers Football Club to Mighty Wonderers Football Club.
“However, being a cheque payment, I hereby advise Wanderers not to use the player until such a time when the said money is cleared to Silver Strikers Football Club account.
“In other development, if Wanderers can issue a bank certified cheque, we will be more than willing to issue instructions to Sulom to allow the player to be cleared. I hope Wanderers still have a chance to obtain a bank cheque as you are holding a K5 million (about $11 904) cheque, before your team takes on Big Bullets tomorrow [Saturday].”
It has also emerged that Nomads and Bullets were failing to finalise transfer deals of their new players because they were waiting for the first tranche of the sponsorship from Carlsberg Malawi which they got on Friday.
Bullets general secretary Higger Mkandawire confirmed that they were failing to register Dalitso Sailesi and Brown ‘Fisimatama’ Mizeyi because they were waiting for part of their sponsorship from Carlsberg Malawi.
The two were cleared on Friday and featured against Nomads.
