Zambian top-flight league side Lusaka Dynamos risk Fifa sanctions, including a ban, for failing to meet the world football governing body’s deadline to pay Malawian footballer DalitsoSailesi $128 675 (about K95.2 million) in compensation for breach of contract.
On October 3 2019, Fifa’s Dispute Resolution Chamber ordered the club to process the payment within 45 days.
The on-and-off Flames midfielder terminated his five-year contract with the Zambian side in 2018 after he had gone a couple of months without being paid, including part of his signing-on fee.
Southern African Region Players Union head Desmond Maringwa, through which Sailesi made his claim to Fifa, yesterday confirmed the development.
He, however, said Dynamos have since asked Fifa for the grounds of the recent order “as a way of trying to express their interest to appeal the verdict and buy some time on their delay to pay the compensation”.
Said Maringwa: “Dynamos have not yet paid the sum as ordered by Fifa and have asked
[the world soccer governing body]
for the grounds of the decision and we are just waiting for Fifa’s resolution.”
“Normally, if a club asks for the grounds of the decision, basically, they may want to appeal against the verdict at CAS or they would want to just delay making the payment to buy time. So, it is a process, but eventually we will get to the point of no delay at a later stage.”
He said they expect to have the grounds from Fifa this month.
Maringwa warned that “Dynamos will be shooting themselves in the foot if they try to negotiate a mutual settlement”.
Dynamos technical manager Oliver Shalala, who also speaks on behalf of the club, yesterday said he needed more time before he could comment on the matter.
“I will respond this evening or early morning tomorrow [today] as I am about to start a busy schedule for the day,” he said.
On his part, Sailesi, who returned home and rejoined his parent club Nyasa Big Bullets last season, said he is keeping his fingers crossed that the Zambian outfit pays him his dues.
“However, I cannot comment much. Ask Felix NgamanyaSapao [who brokered the deal], for more details,” he said.
Sapao yesterday declined to comment on the matter.
Bullets sold Sailesi to Dynamos for K22.5 million, which was a record in 2018.
Part of the ruling by Fifa’s Dispute Resolution Chamber made on October 3 2019, addressed to both Sailesi and Dynamos, stated: “The claim of the claimant is partially accepted. The respondent [Lusaka Dynamos] has to pay the claimant outstanding remuneration in the amounts of $14 500 and Zambia K8 000 [about $607] plus interest at a rate of five percent per annum (p.a.) until the date of effective payment.
“The respondent has to [further] pay the claimant compensation for breach [of contract] the amount of $113 568, plus interest at the rate of five percent p.a. as from September 20 2018 until the day of the payment.” The ruling further directed Sailesi to provide Dynamos with his relevant bank account details to which the club could deposit the money, totalling $128 675 (about K95.2 million), and provide evidence of the same.
