Wanderers kick out 10 players
TNM Super League champions Be Forward Wanderers have off-loaded 10 players, most of whom were part of their successful title campaign in the just-ended season.
Team manager Stevie Madeira and coach Yasin ‘Titch’ Osman yesterday said the off-loaded players will pave the way for seven new signings and three others they expect to take on board.
However, the Nomads kept a tight lid on the identities of the ‘casualties’ until they were officially communicated to later yesterday.
Madeira said: “It is obvious that having signed seven new players and three more set to join us soon, we had to release some.
“We are required to register 30 players and already we have 31 from last season and with 10 or so that are coming, it means we could have 40 or thereabouts.
“But it will be unfair and unprofessional on our part to start divulging the names now when we haven’t given them [affected players] their letters.”
On his part, Osman said some of the players will be released outright while others will be loaned out.
“With our participation in the CAF Champions League, it was imperative to beef up the squad.
“So, some will be released while others will be loaned out. In fact, the list is ready and the team manager [Madeira] has it,” he said.
A well-placed source confided in The Nation that the ‘casualties’ include injury-plagued Amos Belo, Ishmael Thindwa and Jabulani Linje.
The Nomads general secretary Mike Butao told MBC Radio 2 FM on Monday that they need depth in the team “since we will be competing both on the local front and beyond”.
He said: “It will be a long season, there will be injuries, fatigue.
“Already, we have signed seven but there could be more. We still have two to three slots and we are still weighing other options.”
The seven new players the Nomads have signed are Dan Kumwenda, Peter Cholopi, William Thole (Azam Tigers), Dennis Chembezi, Misheck Botomani (PremierBet Wizards), Niikiza Aimabre (Nyasa Big Bullets) and Blessings Tembo (Silver Strikers).
The Nomads are preparing to compete in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League where they have been pitted against Democratic Republic of Congo side AS Vitta in the first round slated for February 2018.
Another Super League side Master’s Security will participate in the CAF Confederations Cup.
Last week, Bullets chairperson Noel Lipipa announced that they would also release 12 players as they seek to rejuvenate the team to win the league title but the club’s general secretary Albert Chigoga said that was Lipipa’s personal opinion.
“The intent to release some players could be there but the figure has not been determined, neither has the technical panel sat down to discuss the issue and make recommendations.
“So, I would say our chair rushed to utter such a statement,” he said.
