Is he unfortunate? That is what Malawians are talking about after Dalitso Sailesi did not receive his money from the liquidated Zambian club, Lusaka Dynamos, despite a FIFA verdict for breach of contractual agreements.
On July 13, 2017, Sailesi signed a five-year deal with Dynamos from FCB Nyasa Big Bullets in Malawi. The player was expected to receive a MWK20 million (about US$12,000) sign-on fee and bonuses.
After a season in Zambia and struggling for game time, the player claimed that he did not receive his sign-on fee and other bonuses. That prompted him to file a contract breach complaint with FIFA against Dynamos before returning to Malawi.
Fifa ordered Dynamos to pay the player K95.2 million (approximately $56,512). Dynamos proposed an out-of-court settlement of $50,000 to the player in 2021, but he declined.
What’s next for Sailesi?
Last year, in March, the club was declared bankrupt, which meant that it would be unable to settle the players’ demands.
Sailesi then requested that Fifa consider compensating him from its Fifa Fund football players.
His representative, Felix Ngamanya Sapao, said Fifa has approved their request but he will only be given less, which is US$ 11,000, a move that has disappointed the player.
Sapao says Sailesi has refused to get the money and “says it is too little and could push for more, which is very unfortunate as he could end up getting nothing. I have tried to reason with him but to no avail,” he said.
After leaving Dynamos, Sailesi returned to his former club, but he was released by the Malawian side in 2022.
Sailesi isn’t the only one; FIFA ordered Dynamos to pay KCCA FC last year. This came after the club failed to pay for Joseph Ochaya’s transfer.
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