SA club signs Kaonga as Banda’s deal flops

South African National First Division (NFD) side TS Sporting has signed Malawian forward Chawanangwa Kaonga from Mozambican top-flight league side Costa Do Sol.

Kaonga, who won the Mozambican Mocambola League title with Costa Do Sol this year, has signed a one and a half-year deal with an option to extend.

The player was not available for comment yesterday, but former Flames coach Ernest Mtawali, who was the facilitator, confirmed the deal yesterday.

“I only initiated the move and the rest can come from Chawa himself,” he said.

Kaonga scored 10 league goals in the just-ended season for Costa Do Sol.

Meanwhile, in a related development, Blue Eagles FC have rejected the South African club’s outright contract offer for Flames midfielder John ‘CJ’ Banda, saying the player will stay put at Mozambican side UD Songo.

Confirming the development yesterday, Eagles chairperson Alexander Ngwala, said: “As a parent club, we turned  down the offer on the basis that CJ is a good and experienced player who should be playing in a top league and not second-tier South African league.

“So, our position is that he will remain at Songo.”

Banda yesterday said the issue was being handled by Eagles.

“I have not heard anything as they [TS Sporting] were in direct talks with Eagles,” he said.