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FOOTBALLERS Zimbabwe Union secretary general, Thomas Sweswe, has urged clubs to always be guided by FIFA rules in their dealings.
Sweswe was responding to reports that Black Rhinos refused to pay Eli Ilunga his November and December salaries after he signed a pre-contract with Dynamos.
Rhinos claimed that Dynamos should have contacted them before offering their player a contract. Ilunga’s contract with Rhinos is set to expire at the end of this month.
Rhinos signed Ilunga as a free agent after he was offloaded by FC Platinum in 2020.
He scored 11 goals for the club in the just-ended season and was among the Soccer Stars of the Year finalists.
Sweswe acknowledged that the player approached the union.
“He came with his issue and we took note of it,” Sweswe said.
“We engaged the club on the issue and discussed it. The club is working on the issue now. We pointed out to them what is required and expected from them. We are waiting for feedback now.
“Clubs should always be guided by FIFA rules and regulations. This will help generations and generations of budding footballers who want to have successful careers in football.
“Basically, as a union, we will be ensuring that all clubs adhere to these regulations set by the global football motherbody. That alone will help remove some of the challenges being faced by the players.”
Ilunga’s manager, Ephraim Mazurura, said Rhinos should pay the player his salary as his contract runs till the end of the month.
“The boy is free to negotiate with any team six months before the expiry of his current contract and that means we didn’t violate any rules.
“He signed a pre-contract valid from 1 January 2023. For now, he is still contracted to Rhinos until December 31. The club must pay his November and December salaries, including his signing-on fee balance which was due in March this year.”
Online Reporter