Clatous Chama’s future at Yanga uncertain as Simba refuses to release him
Claotous Chama
What you need to know:
- The Citizen has reliably been informed that up to now, Simba have not issued Chama a release letter despite the player having completed his contract with them.
Dar es Salaam. If you thought Clatous Chama's introduction to Yanga's squad and subsequent training last week meant he's officially a player for the team, then you are far off the mark.
Fresh reports indicate that Chama is yet to settle matters with Simba, who have seemingly made it difficult to resolve it [the matter] amicably, forcing the player to seek redress at the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) offices.
The Citizen has reliably been informed that up to now, Simba have not issued Chama a release letter despite the player having completed his contract with them.
Chama, who joined Simba in 2018 from Lusaka Dynamos in Zambia, departed the club at the end of last season after his contract expired and was unveiled by Yanga on July 1 this year.
This paper understands that TFF’s Players’ Status and Legal Committee will convene at the TFF offices in Ilala, Dar es Salaam, to discuss several cases currently on their table.
Our source revealed that among the matters to be discussed today is Simba's failure so far to provide Chama with a release letter to officially endorse his move to Yanga, with reports indicating that the player's side has filed complaints.
"So far, Simba has not issued Chama a release letter to grant him freedom after the expiration of his contract. This matter has been brought to the committee and is among those to be discussed in today's (Tuesday's) meeting at TFF," said the source.
This paper made efforts to reach out to leaders of both Simba and Yanga to comment on the issue, but they were not ready to divulge details, awaiting the committee's decision.
Apart from Chama's issue, the committee will also meet today to discuss the saga involving defender Lameck Lawi, whom Simba claims to have legally signed while Coastal Union insists there was no such deal.
Lawi is said to have been registered by Simba while his employers, Coastal Union, acknowledge that he remains their player, prompting the team that purchased him to lodge complaints about his registration.
The Committee’s Chairman Said Soud confirmed they would meet to discuss all cases presented to their committee.
"The meeting will take place tomorrow (today), but I cannot confirm which cases are on our table because we usually meet them on the day of the event. Regarding Lawi, I have heard the same as you," he said, adding, "Our committee is like lawyers in court handling cases they have never managed before, unlike those that have been heard and given another date."
Soud said they meet to review objections immediately after registration is done to rectify any flaws.
"Defects in registration issues are not uncommon; we meet to identify where the problem lies to ensure things are done correctly," he said.
Magori's Statement
Despite Lawi staying in the country while Simba is in Egypt for the new season preparations, a member of Simba’s Board of Directors, Crescentius Magori admitted he is their player as they await the committee's decision after filing their complaints.
He said Lawi is their player since they completed all payment procedures for his purchase, but things suddenly took a different turn, now awaiting the committee's decision, so he couldn't comment further.
"Our position at Simba is that Lawi is our player, although we await the committee's decision, and if it differs, we will appeal to ensure fairness," Magori said.
