Jafali Chande’s saga
The controversy surrounding Jafali Chande’s recent move to Be Forward Wanderers took a new twist on Monday when Nyasa Big Bullets produced a purported copy of the contract the midfielder signed with the People’s Team.
The three-page document, signed on August 14, 2014, states that the duration of the contract is three years.
“This contract will be valid for three years (36 months). It will take effect on 14th August, 2014 and terminate on 13th August, 2017. Upon failure to extend this contract, the player will be at liberty to start contract negotiations with other clubs upon six months upon expiry of this agreement,” reads the document.
The player has since distanced himself from the document. The contract which Bullets have produced, provides that it may be terminated by either party without any consequences of any kind where there is just cause.
Fifa’s regulations Article 15 sub-section 15 states that a just cause is permissible when a contracted player has “appeared in fewer than ten per cent of the official matches” for his club or when a club fails to honour contractual obligations.
Chande’s purported contract further states that the agreement cannot be terminated unilaterally in the course of a season, and that the party in breach shall pay compensation.
Signatories to the document were Chande himself and the then Bullets General Secretary, Harold Fote.
Football Association of Malawi (Fam) Transfer Matching Manager, Casper Jangale, acknowledged receipt of the contract copy from Bullets.
“I need not say much on the matter. We will do the needful after meeting the concerned parties,” he pointed out.
Bullets Technical Director, Billy Tewesa, said his club was not interested in having the player back, but setting the record straight.
“We are simply saying that Jafali is still our player, and he cannot go to another team until the expiry of his contract next year. If it means him not playing football until August next year, so be it,” Tewesa said.
Be Forward Wanderers Vice- Team Manager, Steve Madeira, said his team engaged Chande because he told them that he had no contract with Bullets.
“But it was after discussing the matter with Bullets general secretary that we discovered that his contract was ending in August this year. So, we asked to buy out his contract in order to sign him,” Madeira explained.
“We have to let the game be the winner in the end. Bullets wrote Fam a n d Sulom complaining about the handling of the player’s transfer. They even said they did not have his contract. So, where is this contract coming from?”
Madeira urged Fam and Sulom to resolve the matter urgently ahead of the new season to kick-off on April 16.
The bitter rivals clash in Chifundo Shield at Civo Stadium on Saturday. Bullets wanted to boycott the game in dissatisfaction with Fam and Sulom’s handling of the Chande transfer saga.
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