Maunde in tight spot
Last season’s Super League best defender Bashir Maunde is caught in a transfer wrangle between Azam Tigers and Kabula United (formerly Escom United) that has halted his prospective move to Big Bullets.
Bullets offered to buy Maunde from Tigers at K2 million (US$4 854.4) a fortnight ago, but Kabula blocked the move on the basis that Tigers did not honour the player’s transfer fee last season.
According to Kabula’s chairperson Fanuel Nkhono, his team offered three players to Tigers (Maunde, Lawrence Milanzi and Malumbo Gondwe) as a package at K5 million (US$12 135.9), but Tigers failed to meet the demand.
“So, at the start of the season all the three players were supposed to revert to us and we informed Sulom about it.
“We learnt later that Bullets wanted to sign Maunde believing that he was owned by Tigers. We instructed Sulom to stop the process until the anomaly is corrected,” said Nkhono.
He claimed to have had fresh negotiations with Tigers whom they have offered the player at K2 million at a consideration of K1 million (US$2 427.2).
“We have also had discussions with Bullets on the same player and we have given them our terms. So, whichever team between the two, comes up with the payment, will get him,” said Nkhono.
But it has transpired that after being loaned to Tigers, Maunde signed a five-year deal with them, to which Nkhono says the contract is null and void because Tigers breached the transfer agreement by failing to honour the initial transfer fee.
Tigers technical director Robin Alufandika yesterday confirmed that Maunde signed a five-year deal with his team.
“He is our player, we have a contract with him and he cannot join Bullets because he already signed this season’s registration form with us and we have his card,” said Alufandika.
When asked about Kabula’s claims over his team’s failure to honour the transfer fee last season, Alufandika said: “That issue was discussed between our chairperson [Sydney Chikoti] and his Kabula counterpart and I cannot comment much on that. All I can say is that Bashir [Maunde] has a running contract with us.”
Bullets general secretary Harold Fote said they are waiting for Tigers and Kabula to sort out their wrangle; “otherwise, we are ready to pay the transfer fee.”
Sulom general secretary Williams Banda confirmed that the issue has come to their attention and is being looked into by the Players Status Committee.
“Hopefully, a determination should be made by end of the week. The issue of Tony Chitsulo is also being handled by the same committee,” said Banda.
Maunde, who is in camp with the senior national team, could not be reached for comment yesterday.
In a related development, Kabula have also sought Sulom’s intervention on the issues of Jacob Ngwira, Bernard Harawa and YamikaniSalamu who moved to Wanderers last season.
“Wanderers were required to pay K2.5 million (US$6 068) for all the three players, but their cheque was referred to drawer,” claimed Nkhono. Harawa intends to join Tigers.
