Gabeya deal flops
Nyasa Big Bullets defender Miracle Gabeya’s prospective move to South African Premier Soccer League (PSL) side Highlands Park FC has hit a snag following confusion surrounding his transfer fee.
It was another story of so near and yet so far for the blossoming defender who was offered a two-year contract by the club.
Initially, facilitator of the deal (name withheld), who is a former Flames defender, communicated to Bullets that the PSL club was offering R200 000 (about K11 million) with R100 000 to be paid upfront.
However, when Bullets contacted the club on Tuesday to verify the transfer fees, they learned that the offer was actually $35 000 (about K25 million).
An inside source said: “This was after Bullets realised that FAM [Football Association of Malawi] had not yet received a request for an ITC [international transfer certificate] from South Africa Football Association [Safa] and time was running out.
“So, it was when Bullets officials got in touch with Highlands Park officials, that they learnt about the $35 000 offer. At this point, it became problematic because Bullets officials suggested that they were ready to clear the player on condition that the downpayment should be made. So, that is how the confusion came about.”
This means unless otherwise, Gabeya cannot be cleared as the deadline for transfers in the rainbow nation was January 31.
A distraught Gabeya confirmed the development in an interview from South Africa yesterday.
“I don’t understand why this has happened to me. I am really confused. I don’t know what I am going to do. Everything was in order; I passed the trials and the club offered me a two-year contract only for the transfer not to materialise. But it’s okay, God will create a way,” he said.
FAM player transfer matching system manager Casper Jangale said they could not process the transfer without Bullets’ approval.
“Sometimes we need to protect the interest of our clubs. This is a player who has a contract with Bullets. He left for trials without his club’s blessing, but the club still softened up after he was successful at Highlands Park.
“But then the transfer fee was not coming out clearly. At first the agent said it was K2.5 million, then K11 million. It was only at 7pm on January 31, the last day of the transfer window, that the truth was known. The offer was at K25 million.
“But even after knowing the actual transfer fee, no money had been paid. In this case we could not go ahead with the transfer because the owners of the player, Big Bullets said we shouldn’t until money is transferred,” Jangale said.
This is the second time a Bullets player has missed an opportunity of joining a South African club over transfer fee wrangles.
Last year, striker Muhammad Sulumba failed to join Polokwane City after an ex-Bullets official failed to declare K4 million he received as part payment for the transfer fee.
Gabeya tried his luck at Highlands Park after failing to clinch a deal with PSL giants Kaizer Chiefs.n
