Be Forward Wanderers and striker Jimmy Zakazaka are embroiled in a contractual dispute that has resulted in Football Association of Malawi (FAM) with holding his international transfer certificate (ITC) for his prospective Botswana deal.
Zakazaka signed a two-year contract with BDF XI and the club, through the Botswana Football Association (BFA), sought his ITC from FAM on the basis that he is a free agent. But the Nomads have blocked the move, saying the player is trying to hoodwink them.
“The problem with Jimmy and his agent is that they are desperate for him to go on a free transfer so that he can get a bigger signing-on fee at BDF XI, but he is just wasting his time. That will never work with us.
“And he further claims that BDF XI do not buy players, [and therefore] a team that does not buy players has no right seeking players from other teams. We are ready to release Jimmy, but on our terms, not his or BDF XI’s, so it’s up to him,” said Wanderers general secretary Mike Butao.
When put to him that the player claims not to have signed a contract with Wanderers as the agreement was that he would only put pen to paper upon being paid the entire signing-on fee he demanded, Butao said: “He signed a pre-contract and got money. I will not discuss the money he received because that is confidential contractual information, but he got 90 percent of the fee stipulated in the agreement.”
The Nomads GS also claimed that they have documentation, saying: “You can even ask Casper Jangale [FAM transfer matching system and facilities manager].”
However, The Nation has established that Zakazaka demanded K1.8 million ($3 600) and although Wanderers claim that they paid him K1.6 million ($3 200), Jangale says the player says he got K1.5 million ($3000) in total.
“Jimmy might indeed not have signed a contract, but he signed a pre-contract agreement that they would pay him K1.8 million. Obviously, having given him more than three-quarters of the agreed fee, they would want some sort of compensation.
“We have asked both parties to sit down and resolve the issue amicably so that the player’s deal should not be affected, failing which, we will come in as an arbitrator,” said Jangale who also confirmed that the Botswana club is pressing for the ITC.
Zakazaka, who is already in Botswana, on Monday declined to comment.
Apparently, Wanderers also lost out on Cameroonian Lionel Asu who was given K1.4 million ($2 800) as upfront payment of an agreed K3.5 million ($7000) signing-on fee. The deal was mutually terminated after Asu only made five appearances.
The Nomads are also embroiled in a contractual dispute with Blantyre United over striker Muhamad Sulumba who has moved to South African Premier Soccer League (PSL) side Jomo Cosmos.
The Nomads insist that they signed Sulumba from United on a long-season deal and he cannot, therefore, join Cosmos until his loan period expires. However, on the other hand, United claim to have 100 percent ownership rights for the player.
