Mbulu ban might affect Baroka deal

Mafco FC marksman Richard Mbulu risks missing a dream move to South Africa Premier Soccer League (PSL) side Baroka FC following his ban for the rest of the season.

The newly-promoted PSL outfit’s management, which last week said they were interested in the current TNM Super League joint leading scorer,  was yesterday meeting to discuss whether to hand the suspended striker trials.

Baroka FC agent Tebogo Ramasilo said he had heard about Mbulu’s suspension following the fracas that happened at Chitowe Stadium in Dwangwa last Friday.

“The player was supposed to come here [South Africa] before Saturday. But now I have to consult the club’s chairman [Kharushi Mphahlele],” the agent said yesterday.

The development comes after Football Association of Malawi (FAM) indicated that the suspension is transferable to a foreign league.

FAM player transfer matching system (TMS) manager Casper Jangale said the new system has a provision in which sanctions from one league are transferable to another league.

He said: “The TMS is designed in such a way that you cannot run away from sanctions. When completing the TMS there is a part in which the system demands that all sanctions a player has have to be outlined. The system then, automatically indicates that wherever the player is going, he has to first complete such suspensions before starting to play.

“This is one way of making sure discipline is observed in the game of football. A player cannot be suspended here and think he will escape the sanctions by joining another league. A good example is that of Paul Pogba. He picked up two yellow cards in last season’s Copa Italia and his suspension was carried forward to the Premier League at Manchester United.”

In an interview with The Nation, yesterday, Mbulu said he is a worried that this will affect his promising career.

“I cannot say much, but I am worried because my football career will be affected and it is painful,” he said.

The ban also means Mbulu, who said his ambition was to score over 20 goals to win the golden boot, is over.

“In the first round I scored 11 goals and I was sure that come second round I would score even more so as to beat my target. But with this, my dreams have been shattered,” said Mbulu.

Asked on the verdict by FAM, Mbulu claimed he was not around when the fracas happened.

He said: “I don’t even understand why I am involved when I was not around the time the incident happened. People are talking bad things about me, but they don’t know what really happened.”

Team manager David Gulaimfa, who has also been banned for three

years for ordering the players to disrupt Bullets training, said they were consulting their lawyer on appealing the ruling.

Mafco had up to yesterday evening to appeal. n