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Pressure mounts on Wanderers

Push comes to shove. Pressure is piling up at Be Forward Wanderers where about 12 players’ contracts have either expired or are due  to expire before the start of the 2019 season.

The development means the club’s players are prone to poaching by other teams, desperate to beef up their squads ahead of the 2019 season.

The bulk of Wanderers players’ contracts have run out

The Nation has established that the players include Rafique Namwera, Alfred Manyozo Jnr, Joseph Kamwendo, Essau Kanyenda, Francis Mulimbika, Ernest Tambe, Mike Kaziputa, Peter Wadabwa, Harry Nyirenda, Bongani Kaipa, Simeon Singa and Fransisco Madinga.

This is happening at a time when the Nomads are trying to deal with the controversy surrounding left-back Precious Sambani who has signed for their age-old rivals Nyasa Big Bullets.

Apparently, the Nomads are also set to part ways with their playmaker Yamikani Chester who recently clinched an outright three-year deal with Czech third-tier league side MFK Vyškoe which has since loaned him out to a United States outfit North Carolina FC which plays in the second-tier USL Championship.

Namwera, Manyozo, Kamwendo, Kanyenda, Tambe, Mulimbika and Wadabwa’s contracts are due to expire while Kaziputa, Nyirenda and Kaipa have been playing without contracts for some time.

On the other hand, Singa and Madinga’s loan deals have expired.

However, while confirming the development, Nomads’ vice-general secretary  (GS) Chulu Mkangama, who heads the committee that deals with contracts, played down the issue in an interview yesterday.

“I cannot confirm the figure, but there are indeed some players such as Kamwendo, Namwera, Tambe, Mulimbika and Wadabwa whose contracts are due. But we have already agreed the terms for renewal with most of them.

“Of course, there are three crucial ones and we are working around the clock to sort them out,” he said.

Mkangama urged Nomads fans not to panic over the issues, saying they are being looked into with urgency.

“To the Nomads family, I urge them to keep calm. Behind the scenes, we are working things out and everything is under control.”

The Nomads vice-GS also said the team needs to off-load some players to have a manageable squad.

“We currently have about 34 players and we are looking at signing just one or two new players, but that will require us off-loading a couple of them as well.

“The technical subcommittee is meeting tomorrow to discuss the issue,” he said.

Last week, the club’s chairperson Gift Mkandawire also said priority will be to maintain the current squad.

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