U-turn on Chiukepo: Nyasa, BB backtrack after breaching Fifa rules

Nyasa Big Bullets and Nyasa Manufacturing Company (NMC) have swallowed their pride and backtracked on an earlier announcement that striker Chiukepo Msowoya is owned by the sponsors and loaned to the club.

NMC last week unveiled Chiukepo as their player under third party ownership (TPO) after his contract with South Africa’s Premier Soccer League side Golden Arrows expired.

But TPO, which is the ownership of a player by third-party sources, such as football agents, sports-management agencies or investors, was outlawed by Fifa in 2015.

When put to Bullets that the club risks Fifa punishment, general secretary Albert Chigoga said NMC erred.

He said: “As our sponsors, we amicably discussed the matter with them when we noted that somehow, we were taking a wrong path. The player was expected to sign a contract with Bullets Football Club even after he was unveiled by our sponsors and he indeed signed the contract with the club.

 “This anomaly was, therefore, resolved between executive committee of Nyasa Big Bullets and management of NMC. There is no attachment of third party ownership to the player as we speak because NMC understood its implications in good faith.”

Fifa Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players Article 18 states that; “no club shall enter into a contract which enables the counter club/counter clubs, and vice-versa, or any third party to acquire the ability to influence in employment and transfer-related matters its independence, its policies or the performance of its teams.”

Fifa defines a third party as a party other than the two clubs transferring a player from one to the other, or any previous club, with which the player has been registered.

Former Fifa player’s agent, Felix Ngamanya Sapao, yesterday called on FAM to address the issue of TPO.

He said: “I have been waiting to hear the position of the Football Association of Malawi on third party ownership of football players ever since it was announced that Chiukepo Msowoya has been signed by Nyasa Manufacturing Company and loaned to Nyasa Big Bullets. 

“From my knowledge, this is a non starter as Fifa does not accept third party ownership. Correct me if I am wrong, but this situation will either have to be clarified or corrected.”

FAM transfer matching system (TMS) manager Casper Jangale said Chiukepo’s transfer would not have passed through TMS if Bullets had insisted on NMC’s TPO.

“All the clubs are aware that Fifa stopped TPO long time ago and that they risk being punished if they do that,” he said.