Wanderers, Eagles for fresh talks on Vitu’s signing
Mighty Be Forward Wanderer need to start afresh if they are still interested to sign Vitumbiko Kumwenda from Lilongwe based Malawi Police Service [MPS] sponsored outfit Blue Eagles Football Club.
This follows a ruling by the country’s soccer governing body Football Association of Malawi [FAM] through a statement released on Monday 4th April, 2020.
The player terminated his contract with Eagles after the Nomads desperately showed interest to give the player an outright contract.
Blue Eagles thereafter lodged a complaint to [FAM] accusing Be Forward Wanderers of player tapping after the attacker signed a three-year deal at the Lali Lubani despite his parent club turning down a K3 Million cheque.
Wanderers unveiled Kumwenda over two weeks ago as they claimed he joined the club as a free agent after tendered his resignation at Eagles.
However, in a letter dated April 24, 2020, addressed to FAM Arbitration chamber on status and transfer of player committee, Eagles claimed that Kumwenda breached his contract.
Blue Eagles was seeking three remedies from FAM Arbitration Chambers including a declaration that Kumwenda was not a free agent as claimed by Wanderers and that the nomads were in breach of article 15.3 of Fam Rules and Regulations on the status and transfer of players for inducing Kumwenda to repudiate his contract with Blue Eagles FC in contravention of Regulation 15.1.
But in a dramatic turn of events, Kumwenda purported contract termination has been quashed and set aside as the article relied upon contravenes FIFA and FAM RSTP on restriction of terminating a contract during the season, this is according to a statement FAM has released signed by it General Secretary Alfred Gift Gunda.
It further warns that failure by the player to report back to Blue Eagles, the player and Be Forward Wanderers shall be in breach and be subjected to sporting and monetary sanctions consistent with FIFA and FAM RSTP.
“Two clubs should negotiate on the transfer fee failure which, the player will either belong to Blue Eagles of that the player negotiates to compensate his club for breach of contract” reads the statement in part.
Meanwhile, both Blue Eagles and Mighty Be Forward Wanderers have welcomed the judgment.
Wanderers secrtary general Victor Maunde said: “We are happy with the determination mainly the fact that we have been given chance to negotiate with Blue Eagles on the player. In short, we are the winner in this case. This is because we have not been charged with player tapping case as our friends (Eagles) wanted”.
While admitting that as per ruling the player belong to Eagles, Maunde said they will launch fresh discussions.
“I can’t say we will have the player because the player belongs to Eagles, so its 50-50. But we will still discuss with them. As Wanderers we are ready to pay K3.5 million to buy Vitumbiko Kumwenda” he said.
On his part, Eagles chairman Alexander Ngwala says he is very excited with Vitumbiko Kumwenda verdict saying it will bring sanity in player management and behaviour within clubs while granting space for nomads for fresh discussions.
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