Sailesi changes stand on Fifa compensation

Former Flames winger Dalitso Sailesi has accepted to receive $11 000 (about K19 million) being offered by Fifa as his compensation for breach of contract by liquidated Zambian club Lusaka Dynamos.

About a fortnight ago, the former FCB Nyasa Bullets and Mighty Tigers midfielder turned down the offer, arguing that it was on the lower side.

Initially in 2019, the world football governing body, through its dispute resolution chamber, ordered the Lusaka-based outfit to pay the player $128 675, an equivalent of about K95.2 million at the time.

 But Dynamos failed to pay Sailesi and other players whom it owed outstanding dues and they were declared bankrupt last year.

In separate interviews yesterday, the player’s representative Felix Ngamanya Sapao and Football Players Association of Malawi chairperson Jimmy Zakazaka confirmed the player’s change of heart.

Said Sapao: “The issue has now been sorted out following the players association chairperson’s [Zakazaka] intervention and Sailesi has since signed the Fifa forms.

“So, he will get the money once it is processed and wired by Fifa.”

On his part, Zakazaka, a former Flames forward, said: “We are happy that Sailesi understood after we engaged him on the matter because the danger was that he risked not getting anything.”

Sailesi himself could be reached for comment yesterday.

He is expected to get a lower amount from the chunk as 10 percent of the amount will be paid to his representative,  15 percent will go to Zimbabwean Desmond Maringwa, who was his legal representative and there will also be some bank charges.

The retired midfielder signed for Lusaka Dynamos in 2017 at K23 million with Bullets getting K17 million while the player’s signing-on fee was K6 million. The club never paid the fees.

He was expected to receive an equivalent of K1.4 million per month.

However, the club also failed to fulfil the deal, prompting the player to take up the matter with Fifa through Sapao and Maringwa.