By Innocent Kurira
Chicken Inn FC have dug in their heels over the desired transfer of midfielder Tichaona Chipunza to Nkana FC of Zambia, saying the player has to follow proper transfer procedures if the move is to materialise.
According to media reports, Chipunza agreed a one-year deal with Nkana, with an option to extend.
However, Chicken Inn have indicated that Chipunza is not a free agent as he claims and they were not involved in the supposed move.
The Gamecocks believe Nkana had no right to approach and offer Chipunza a contract without engaging them as the club to who the player is contracted.
His contract with Chicken Inn was set to expire at the end of the 2020 season, but because there was no football in Zimbabwe for the whole of last year, Zifa in consultation with football stakeholders advised that all contracts that were due to lapse last year would overlap into this year in accordance with Fifa guidelines.
“If he knows the legalities of his issue, why is he going to the newspapers when he knows the Zifa body which can declare his status. Let him pay his US$5 000 and be declared a free agent by the players status committee. Zifa has such a committee to deal with that. Besides, the status committee has the right to declare the status of the player. As per Zifa guidelines, if he wants to move, he can engage us, not to ask for a clearance through a WhatsApp message,” said Chicken Inn secretary Tavengwa Hara.
The former Dynamos and FC Platinum midfielder would be under the tutelage of former Highlanders player and coach Kevin Kaindu at Nkana if the deal materialises. The Chronicle
