Sulom, clubs faulted on transfer woes

Some football commentators have said both Sulom and clubs are to blame for the recent player-transfer chaos.

Charles Nyirenda and Felix Sapao on Tuesday said Sulom and its affiliates have lost their way in the handling of player movements.

The two soccer analysts also said the situation has the potential to discourage current and potential sponsors.

Mighty Wanderers were involved in a transfer wrangle with Silver Strikers involving Tony Chitsulo whereby the Bankers accused the Nomads and Sulom of illegally registering Chitsulo.

Escom United are also involved in a row with Big Bullets over movements of Chimango Kayira, Heston Munthali and James Chilapondwa.

The Nomads are also accused of illegally featuring Azam Tigers’ Mike Kaziputa, Mapopa Musukwa, Timothy Chitedze, Kondwani Kumwenda and Kondwani Lufeyo.

“It is unfortunate that all this confusion is happening when FAM commercial manager Casper Jangale explained to the clubs new procedures of player-transfer at a stakeholders meeting.

“Secondly, there is laxity on the part of the clubs to effect change and Sulom are also failing to enforce the rules, but the larger part of the blame should be placed on the clubs.”

He cited the issue of Escom’s trio as a good example.

“One wonders whether there was a formal loan agreement between the clubs because in normal circumstances that is supposed to be the case so that when the loan period expired, Escom would have reverted to BB or the otherway round.

“The assumption is also that Sulom were supposed to have a copy of the agreement and, therefore, should not have allowed Escom to use these players. The same applies to the case between Wanderers and Tigers,” said Nyirenda.

On Chitsulo’s issue, Nyirenda said: “One comes out clearly is that Sulom need to centralise the clearing system.”

On his part, Sapao said: “Local teams do not follow standard Fifa rules on player transfers and it has become free for all. It is only here where players can be registered by another team without the consent of their, it is all chaotic.

“Sulom has to take a firm line on the issue of contracts and that is the only way they can bring sanity to the process.”

But Sulom general secretary Williams Banda defended his body on the accusations.

“First and foremost, I did not see the loan agreement [between the clubs involved] per se. I am yet to get it, what I know is that they agreed on outright sale,” said Banda.

On Chitsulo, Banda said: “As stated earlier, the player was properly transferred because Wanderers issued a cheque to Silver and a cheque is a legal tender.

“And if at all they [Silver] had concerns, they should have raised them before the cheque was issued. So, I wouldn’t agree that we are to blame for the confusion, it is the clubs that are at the centre of it all.”

Banda warned clubs and players that they risk being punished if they do not follow transfer procedures.