Zifa clear Mhlanga, charge Chicken Inn

By Mukudzei Chingwere

The Zifa Player Status Committee have cleared former Warriors defender, Lawrence Mhlanga, to play for his preferred club, FC Platinum, and have charged Chicken Inn for “unreasonably withholding the player’s clearance”.

Mhlanga spent a nightmarish year on the sidelines after a contract battle between the defender and his former club Chicken Inn prevented him from joining any other side.

The former Warriors defender was cleared to join a club of his choice by Zifa at the end of last year but his woes mounted when the decision was challenged and the player was forced to sit out his club’s first six league matches.

After deliberating on the issue, the Zifa Player Status Committee this week ordered Chicken Inn to pay a fine of $1000 and cleared Mhlanga to start playing for FC Platinum with immediate effect.

“Members of the Committee have thus ruled…the Player, Mr Lawrence Mhlanga, be and is hereby, cleared to feature for his current club, FC Platinum, with immediate effect.

“Chicken FC be and is hereby sanctioned to pay the Association a fine of $1 000 for unreasonably withholding the player’s clearance without any justifiable reason.

“The fine payable in terms of Clause 6.2 must be paid within ten (10) business days failing which Chicken Inn FC shall be banned from registering any new players, either nationally or internationally, up until such time the fine is paid in full.

“The Committee’s ruling, in respect of Chicken Inn FC, is largely deterrent for the primary reason that professional clubs must do away with extortive conduct when dealing with players’ transfer procedures.“Players earn their living by playing football for teams they are contracted to, for as long as they are not available to their clubs for use in its official matches, their earning capacity is significantly diminished.

“Clubs must desist from any extortive behaviour and same goes for players. The Committee will not hesitate to reign on any club or player under such circumstances,” read the judgment by Committee.

Mhlanga’s return comes as a major boost to FC Platinum stand-in coach, Lizwe Sweswe, who is preparing for a duel against Bulawayo Chiefs at Luveve tomorrow.

But the big defender will have to earn his place in the team.

In his absence, the miners did not have any defence concerns after conceding only one league goal in the opening six matches.  The Chronicle