Chronicle Editor
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
ENTUMBANE-born Kevin Ngwenya has scored a first by becoming the first person from Bulawayo to acquire an English Football Association registered player intermediary.
Ngwenya, a philanthropist, who has assisted a number of football teams in the city and rural Filabusi, got his trading licence late last month.
His name now appears on the FA official website together with that of Dynamos legend Chamu Musanhu.
“Below is a list of all FA registered Intermediaries. Only individuals and companies registered with The FA as Intermediaries are authorised to conduct Intermediary Activity on behalf of Players and Clubs playing football in England. If you have any doubts about anyone purporting to be an Intermediary please do not hesitate to contact the Financial Regulation Team for clarification,” reads an extract from the FA website which lists Ngwenga and Musanhu.
Ngwenya was naturally thrilled and said while he was allowed to deal with any player from around the world, he hoped that Zimbabwean players in general and Bulawayo in particular will benefit immensely since he is based in the UK.
“It is obviously a huge task, but with many years of being involved in football, it is a task that I feel I was born to do. We live among a lot of talented players who just need exposure,” said Ngwenya.
He was set to visit Moldova next month to seal some deals, but due to the global shutdown because of the Covid-19 pandemic, those plans have been shelved.
According to Fifa, a player intermediary is a natural or legal person who, for a fee or free of charge, represents players and/or clubs in negotiations with a view to concluding an employment contract or represents clubs in negotiations with a view to concluding a transfer agreement.
Operations of player intermediaries are governed by Fifa statutes and the world governing body does not take lightly to any unethical conduct by the intermediaries.
“Fifa bears the responsibility to constantly improve the game of football and to safeguard its worldwide integrity. In this context, one of Fifa’s key objectives is to promote and safeguard considerably high ethical standards in the relations between clubs, players and third parties, and thus to live up to the requirements of good governance and financial responsibility principles.
“More specifically, Fifa considers it essential to protect players and clubs from being involved in unethical and/or illegal practices and circumstances in the context of concluding employment contracts between players and clubs and of concluding transfer agreements. In the light of these considerations, and with the aim of properly addressing the changing realities of modern day relations between players and clubs as well as to enable proper control and transparency of player transfers, Fifa has enacted these regulations in accordance with article 4 of the Regulations Governing the Application of the Fifa statutes. These regulations shall serve as minimum standards/requirements that must be implemented by each association at national level, the latter having the possibility of further adding thereto,” says Fifa on its preamble on the regulation on working with intermediaries.
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