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FAM seeks FIFA advice on ‘CJ’ transfer

 

The transfer of Blue Eagles players who are police officers to Mozambique side Ferroviario de Nampura has jolted Football Association of Malawi (FAM) to seek clarification from Fifa on whether the players should be treated as free agents since the Malawi Police Service side never offered them contracts.

Blue Eagles general manager Gabriel Chirwa confessed during the week that John ‘CJ’ Banda and Schumacher Kuwali do not have football contracts with the club.

FAM player transfer matching system manager Casper Jangale said there was need to get clarification from Fifa on the matter.

On secondment or free agent?: CJ (R)
On secondment or free agent?: CJ (R)

“The players have employment contracts with Malawi Police Service which owns Blue Eagles. There is a need to consult Fifa on this one to guide us on how best we can handle such issues,” Jangale said.

“We need to establish if that employment contract serves as a binding document between the player and the club which is owned by MPS. The players are able to draw salary and other benefits from that. May be the issue should be; are they supposed to be sold to any team if employed with MPS or be loaned?”

Jangale also said MPS needs to spell out the status of their players clearly for purpose of reference.

“That’s why we need proper guidance on that. Is it like a secondment or do they go on a sabbatical?” Jangale.

“That would be spelled out in their contracts which they have to submit to us by March 11 deadline.”

Eagles boss Chirwa said they felt the letter of engagements as Malawi Police Service officers was enough as a binding document between the club and the players.

“John (Banda) and Schumacher (Kuwali) indeed have no contracts with us. But they are police officers. They are civil servants. This, we felt, is enough,” said Chirwa during the week.

“But with the club licensing thing we have no choice but to offer our players contracts that indicate that they are our players.”

He was responding to the on-going negotiations with Mozambique club on the player’s pending transfer.

Eagles initially demanded $20 000 (about K15 million) for each player on a permanent transfer.

However, the Mozambique side wants the players to join the club on a year-long loan.

The club offered $5 000 (about K4 million) loan fee for each player while Eagles want $7 500 (about K6 million) each if the players are to join the club on a short term deal.

The clubs are expected to wrap up negotiations by tomorrow before the closure of the transfer window in Mozambique on Sunday.

The two players, who have been offered K1 million (about $1 371) monthly salary and K5 million (about $6 857) signing-on fee each, said they are keeping fingers closed that the deal materialises after getting impressed the club’s reception during the pre-season tour in South Africa.

Broker of the deal agent James Pondamale said time was running out for the players to get registered in Mozambique.

“I cannot comment on the negotiations but the only concern is that the deal must be concluded by Sunday,” said Pondamale. n

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