PSL clubs on collision course
PREMIER Soccer League (PSL) clubs are set for a collision course over players after Zifa ruled that clubs who signed players on short deals ahead of the Covid19-affected 2020 season should get compensation or get the service, which they paid for ahead of the start of the new season.
The decision, which was announced by PSL chairman Farai Jere following the association’s annual general meeting (AGM), means that a number of players are still tied to last year's contracts even though they signed new ones.
It was also agreed at the AGSM that the domestic league start on July 17 after a year and a half absence while a Cup tournament is scheduled to mark the return of local football in two weeks’ time.
But it’s the ruling on shortterm player contracts from last year that is set to generate debate and possibly lead to clashes among clubs.
CAPS United could be one of the clubs to benefit from the ruling after losing Wallace Magalane, Ian Nyoni and Innocent Mucheneka without getting any service following short-term deals
The Green Machine were reportedly negotiating a new deal with Nyoni, who has gone back to his parent club Chapungu, while Magalane and Mucheneka have since joined champions FC Platinum.
Dynamos also had to discuss fresh deals this year with senior players like captain Partson Jaure, Godknows Murwira and King Nadolo, while they lost influential defender Byron Madzokere, who is reportedly headed for ZPC Kariba.
“We had a lawyer, and that lawyer clarified issues which have been outstanding, which have been very pertinent and critical to players and the clubs,” Jere told journalists after the PSL AGM on Friday evening.
“The clarification was very clear, and it’s actually in line with the recommendations from Zifa, which actually gave us comfort that it actually came from the lawyers.
“The lawyer took us from the definition of a contract. A contract has got terms or services, which are supposed to provided, so if the service is not provided, obviously, the clubs have got the right to claim for specific performance.
“This means whichever club wants a player, who has been fully paid as per the guidelines from Zifa for 2020, they can compensate the club, which has paid for the signing-on fee and all the salaries,” he said.
The developments are also in line with recommendations from Fifa at the onset of the "Covid pandemic last year that ‘contracts due to begin when the new season starts, meaning the entry into force of such contracts is delayed until the next season actually does start".
Jere added: “Those were the conditions, up to the last day of the last season, because there is an obligation by that particular player to provide a service, which has been paid for.
“That service, if proven that it’s not been provided, then there is an issue of specific performance, which the lawyer also provided guidance for.
“All the governors were very happy because it was a sticking point, but these are the guidelines from Zifa, which means the Zifa lawyers had looked into them,” Jere said.
PSL governors agreed at their annual meeting on Friday to begin the new championship race on July 17.
The 2021 season will be preceded by a mini-tournament where the 18 clubs have been placed into four groups.