Nomads risk losing 10 players
Be Forward Wanderers risk losing over 10 players as free agents as the club is yet to renew their contracts.
Sources indicate some players’ contracts will expire at the end of this season whereas others had no contracts.
Some of the affected players include Isaac Kaliyati, Lucky Malata, Bongani Kaipa, Dennis Chembezi, Harry Nyirenda, Mike Kaziputa, Simon Singa, Joseph Kamwendo, goalkeeper Richard Chipuwa and striker Misheck Botomani.
Wanderers Captain, Alfred Manyozo Jnr, confirmed that some players’ contracts had expired.
“However, I don’t know the exact figure. But this is worrisome because it affects the team’s performance as we need the money for our upkeep or even hospital bills,” he said.
Malata also confirmed that his contract will expire at the end of this season.
“The club is yet to open talks so I am still waiting. Of course in an ideal situation contractual renewal discussions would have started long ago as now I can talk to any other team,” he said.
However, Wanderers Vice General Secretary, Christopher Kananji, could neither confirm nor deny the allegations.
Kananji was quick to point out that Wanderers have financial problems as their monthly allocation from their sponsor was not enough to pay their wage bill.
“As a club, we did not do our things right somehow somewhere and we really have to fix this problem. You may wish to know that we get a monthly allocation of K12 million to K13 million from our sponsor Be Forward which is enough to cater for the players’ monthly salary.
“Our wage bill goes up to K14 million which means that we need an additional sum of over K1 million to sort them [players]. So it requires us to source from other avenues,” he said.
Asked what the club will do to secure the players and tie them down to new contracts, Kananji said they will engage their sponsor to intervene in the matter.
“We will engage them at the end of the season, and be assured that come next season we will give new contracts to all the players we have and also pay outstanding game bonuses,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kananji hinted that the club might not sign any new players next season as one way of reducing expenditure at the club.
This season, Wanderers roped in Babatunde Adepoje, Vincent Nyangulu, Eric Atsiga and Francis Mkonda all from Masters Security.
They are also on the verge of signing a Ghanaian goal keeper.
Wanderers are second on the TNM Super League log table with 54 points from 25 games whereas the leagues defending champions Nyasa Big Bullets top the standings with 55 points from the same number of games.
Peter Fote is a Sports Journalist with huge experience in radio and Television reporting, production and presentation. He once worked with Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) and is currently working for Times Media Group.
