FIFA licenced agent blasts bogus deals

PROMINENT football agent Gibson Mahachi fears local players will continue losing money to bogus agents if authorities fail to educate the football fraternity on the need to adopt the bona fide agency system.

Mahachi is one of the six FIFA licenced player agents in Zimbabwe, alongside Denford Mutashu, Garikayi Gilbert Sengwe, George Deda, Lindela Tshuma and Adonis Ndaimana Sithole.

Since last September, the world football governing body has been directly involved in the monitoring of player agents, following an increase in the number of cases in which players have been duped.

However, Zimbabwe still has several unlicenced player representatives who are operating and brokering deals both on the local and international markets.

Some of these agents have been fleecing players by demanding huge kickbacks for securing moves.

“This is unethical,” says Mahachi, who has hundreds of players in his stable and manages renowned coaches including Norman Mapeza, Kalisto Pasuwa, and Sunday “Mhofu” Chidzambwa.

“FIFA realised that players were losing out in so many ways, that’s why they introduced the platform from agents.

“The agency system has always been there, but as Zimbabwe, we now need to reinforce it,” said Mahachi.

Former Chicken Inn star player, Thabani Goredema, revealed a very sad story recently.

The veteran feels that most players are living in abject poverty mainly because they were swindled by agents.

“Right now, the young boys playing cannot sign a contract without paying someone,” Goredema lamented.

“I have played 18 years in the Premier Soccer League and this has happened now and again.

“You sign for, say US$10 000, but you never get any money.”

Goredema’s case is just the tip of the iceberg.

And Mahachi thinks it’s high time ZIFA and the PSL start raising awareness on the importance of bona fide player agents.

“In Europe right now, and I am happy South Africa has also adopted that. You don’t have a player who operates without an agent, not just an agent, but a FIFA-accredited agent.

“Our environment has been affected by those fly-by-night agents who think they can just make money when they are not bona fide agents.”

Zimbabwe’s six registered agents will soon form a committee that will advocate for clubs to work with “genuine” player representatives.

“We need to protect the player because he is the main actor in this game. Without the player, there is no football to talk about.

“We want to establish a committee and we want ZIFA and PSL to educate the clubs and also make the coaches understand the benefits of working with FIFA licensed agents.

“If you notice, coaches also have issues. “You get employed today and you are told your target is to win the league title. But you get fired in May, how is that possible?

“There is something that is not there in their contracts that will protect them.

“So, agents are there to bring sanity in our football, so we also don’t have situations where players double sign.”

Mahachi argues that some former players died as paupers after falling victim to unscrupulous agents who negotiated for their benefits, neglecting key welfare issues.

“You hear a player has played for all the big teams in this country, but he doesn’t even have a bicycle.

“How can a player be happy with somebody who is bogus taking US$2 000 from your US$6 000? How can you be happy with that?

“If we have proper agents handling issues, the result is we will have clean football and good players who are well taken care of.

“I am happy the Football Union of Zimbabwe is doing very well. But they need to do more to educate players so that they know their rights.

“FIFA licenced agents do a lot of work because they have contacts and they have a strong network across the globe.”

According to Mahachi, the agency concept is there to protect both the players and their clubs.

“We have very good players here in Zimbabwe, top talent, but they will not go anywhere because their attitude is very wrong and they are not well groomed.

“It’s embarrassing to have a player signing two contacts with two different clubs in this era.

“But with a bona fide agent, it’s straight business, and no one is taking anybody’s money.

“Our environment is not at a stage where they appreciate the importance of agents. Few clubs know the benefits of dealing with bona fide agents.”