Manager threatens to sue Hassan Kajoke
It never rains but pours for FCB Nyasa Bullets striker Hassan Kajoke who continues to swim in troubles after Football Association of Malawi (Fam) ordered him to reimburse the K3.9 million he pocketed from Silver Strikers.
Fam has asked Kajoke to pay Silver in not more than five days.
The player’s manager Ken Mvula has not been left scot free as he also has to cough a K500,000 fine.
The determinations were made after a hearing conducted by Fam’s player status committee.
But in a new twist of events, Mvula has threatened to drag Kajoke to court for damaging his reputation.
In reaction to the ruling Thursday, Mvula said the player never consulted him on some of his decisions.
’’I am still consulting but definitely, I will sue Kajoke. I did nothing wrong. If the committee has fined me K500,000, then Kajoke is supposed to pay the fine on my behalf,’’ he said.
During the hearing last week, the committee was told that Kajoke and Mvula approached Silver with an assurance that the player was a free agent as his contract had expired on December 31 2022.
Mvula has been ordered to pay the fine within five days or risk being banned from all football related activities.
In its ruling released on Wednesday, the committee also ordered Kajoke to pay K200,000 to Fam within five days for his conduct.
“The player, Mr Hassan Kajoke, shall be immediately from the date of this determination be suspended from participating in any football matches locally and internationally until he makes the full payment of the sum of K3,900,000 to Silver Strikers Limited. Additionally, the amount shall attract interest at prevailing commercial bank lending rates per annum if it is unpaid after the prescribed time frame of five days,’’ part of the ruling reads.
However, Kajoke asked for more time when contacted Thursday.
Silver have been fined K900,000 for being found in breach of article 24 of Fam’s Regulations on the Status of Transfer of Players.
Part of the article reads: “In the case of a professional player, request the club with whom the player registered, in writing with proof of delivery, for permission to talk to the player. The player’s club must respond in writing.”
The committee noted that Silver’s failure to make the initial request to engage the player was fatal and precluded conclusion of any contract with the player until its expiry on March 31 this year.
“Indeed, a player under contract is only permitted to conclude a contract with another club if the player’s contract is due to expire within six months. Be that as it may, it remains incumbent upon a club interested in signing a player under a contract to formally inform his current club about its interest.
“The PSC noted that the player’s contract had entered the final six months and therefore the player would have signed a contract with the petitioner or indeed any other club provided Bullets had been informed in writing and had granted permission for negotiations to proceed,” part of the ruling reads.
The ruling states that Silver risk being banned from registering new players for two consecutive registration periods should they fail to pay in five days.
Silver board member Chrispin Sibande said they are happy with the ruling.
’’We observed that the dispute was not referred to the committee with utmost promptitude and dispatch. On its part, the committee endeavoured to dispose of the dispute without delay realising that justice delayed is justice denied,’’ Sibande said.
Silver referred the matter to Fam on April 28, demanding that Kajoke be stopped from playing with immediate effect on allegations of theft, fraud, deceit, dishonesty and bringing football into disrepute.
