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Women football stars risk bans

Malawi national women football team players (in red) in action against Zambia
Malawi national women football team in action

National women football stars Loveness Nyakamera and Chrissy Kasiya returned to South Africa this weekend, to complete their one-year deals with Kanatla Ladies FC, but FAM says the players are doing that illegally and risk indefinite bans together with their agent Prince Jere.

FAM’s transfer matching systems (TMS) manager Casper Jangale said they are not officially aware of the players’ contracts with the club and they are not aware of how the South African Football Association (Safa) cleared them to play in their league.

Nyakamera and Kasiya joined Kanatla Ladies from Zomba City Queens and Ntopwa Super Queens respectively in the middle of the 2013 South African Soccer League (Sasol) season and helped the team win the Pretoria Province Championship title last September.

Apart from the football contracts, the side also offered the two players academic scholarships at Capricorn College in Polokwane City. Nyakamera is expected to pursue Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree while Kasiya wants to study for a Bachelor’s degree in Accountancy.

“We are taking up the matter with Safa to see if they cleared the players. We also want to find out how the footballers were registered because it might be possible the club roped in the girls using fake names to run away from proper procedures,” said Jangale.

Jere could not be reached for comment on the matter, but Nyakamera said they were told everything was alright on their contract and they are happy to be at the South African club.

“The club provides everything for us and the academic scholarship is an excellent motivating factor. I hope everything will be alright for me as I return to the team at the end of this month,” said Nyakamera.

The 22-year-old striker scored 29 goals in 10 games she featured for Kanatla Ladies whereas 21-year-old winger Kasiya scored nine goals in five appearances.

But Jangale said FAM would not stop the players from returning to South Africa to complete their year-long deals, but they would like to find out from their South African counterparts if they are aware of the contracts.

He, however, said the probing of the matter would take a while because women football player transfers are not done using the technologically advanced TMS system, but the paper-based international transfer system.

“This is why we are not blocking the two players’ return to their South African club, but if it is noted that procedures were not followed, then the players, their agent and the South African club might face indefinite ban for breaching Fifa rules,” he said.

He added that they would also wait for a letter of concern from the National Women Football Committee (NWFC) to broaden the probe on the player transfer deals.

NWFC chairperson Severia Chalira said they will write the letter of concern to FAM and they already advised Jere to approach FAM to explain how the contracts were transacted without their approval.

“At present, everything seems simple because the players have not faced problems at their South African club. I called and advised Jere to explain the deals to FAM because whatever risk they might face, would not concern us. Procedures must be followed,” said Chalira.

So far Malawi has six professional women footballers. Malawi national team captain Chisomo Kazisonga was the first export early last year. She captains Zimbabwe Super League side Conduit Academy.

The other players are Kasiya’s sister Mwayi who plays for South Africa’s Mary’s FC together with Zimbabwe’s Auckland Queens’ stars Catherine Ntonga and Eliza Chiphang’ombe.

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