Nyasa Big Bullets’ Zimbabwean coach Callisto Pasuwa’s contract is set to expire in three months without being fulfilled due to suspension of football amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, the club says it plans to negotiate with the coach on how to extend his stay following Fifa guidelines on ‘ unfulfilled contracts’ due to Covid-19 pandemic.
The former Zimbabwe Warriors coach extended his contract early this year after successfully defending the TNM Super League title.
However, just as the 2020 season was about to kick-off in March, government imposed a ban on sporting activities, including football as a precautionary measure to contain the pandemic.
His contract is now set conclude in three months with the Malawigovernment yet to lift the ban on TNM Super League football.
Pasuwa’s manager Gibson Mahachi was not available for comment but Bullets chief administration officer Albert Chigoga confirmed the development and said they will negotiate with the coach.
He said: “All contractual issues will be ably handled in the way the club and the players or officials will be happy in the end. Plans are in place to engage the concerned individuals and agree on extension of their contracts.”
Though contracted to Bullets, Pasuwa has been a hot property attracting offers from Kenya and Zimbabwe clubs.
But Bullets have managed to keep the coach and Chigoga said they now plan to tie him to a long term deal.
In June, Fifa issued guidelines on how to deal with contractual issues such as Pasuwa’s affected by Covid-19.
The guidelines read: “Given the postponement or suspension of MA [member associations] and league competitions, and the overwhelming desire of MAs and leagues for those competitions to be completed, it is very likely that those competitions will take place after the original end date of the season.
“This will naturally cause the original start date of the next season to be impacted. Issues thus arise where employment agreements are due to expire at the original end date of the season. Where an agreement is due to expire at the original end date of a season, such expiry be extended until the new end date of the season.”
But soccer analyst Kelvin Moyo observed that the guidelines were too general because in some cases such as Malawi, the season never kicked off.
He said: “This issue is very delicate. In other countries Fifa gave direction and contracts were increased by two months because their season was already underway.
“But what about in countries like Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique where they did not kick-off the season? This is a major challenge.”
Apart from Pasuwa, contracts for Bullets strikers Chiukepo Msowoya and Zicco Mkanda are also set to expire in December.
