Maxaquene: Club Members Commission denies US$2 million debt and FIFA sanction – O País

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Maxaquene: Club Members Commission denies US$2 million debt and FIFA sanction – O País

8:48 CAT | 03 Mar 2022

Photo: Noticias

The Maxaquene Club Members Commission says that the narrative about the club’s US$2 million (130 million meticais) arising from non-payment of salaries to players, coaches and other employees, is false. The Membership Committee says it does not know where such information was obtained, and for them, it merely destabilises the collective.

Last week, information emerged that Maxaquene had been sanctioned by the International Football Federation (FIFA), due to debts estimated at US$2 million. The chairman of the Maxaquene Management Commission, Domingos Langa, confirmed the information, saying that the amount referred to players’, coaches’ and other employees’ unpaid salaries and amounts owing for services.

The news caused shock waves among the members and supporters of the “Tricolour” club, and the imminent blocking of Maxaquene’s licence for governed by FIFA competitions drew many comments – those of the members loudest among them.

And it was through the voice of Efraime Tembe, President of the Members ‘ Committee, that the denial echoed. “Maxaquene Sports Club members distance themselves from these slanderous and defamatory reports circulating in the press and on social networks. We do not know where this information comes from with these astronomical figures, nor who the originator is, and what the intention and purpose of bringing such a lie before the public might be,” Tembe said to journalists who went to the collective headquarters to hear what the members had to say.

Tembe also denied that Maxaquene was prevented from registering players and participating in competitions by FIFA on account of its debts.

Tembe outlined the two situations that can prevent a club from registering its players in the TMS system, namely the fact of not presenting proof of payment of the athlete’s registration with the association, valued at 3,000 meticais in case of renewal, 20,000 meticais for a transfer and 25,000 meticais for registration of a foreign athlete. If a club owes money to a foreign player, coach or worker, the case is finalised in FIFA or the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the latter in the case of an appeal by one of the parties.

For the president of the ‘Tricolour’ Membership Committee, on the basis of these two assumptions, “Maxaquene does not have any of the cases reported above. Furthermore, if there were such a block, FIFA would have already communicated it to the club, and consequently it would be known to the Mozambican Football Federal, But this is not the case”.

The Members’ Committee also says that this “disinformation” aims to destabilise the club and that the country’s foremost football team would play in the competitions they were entitled to participate in this year.

“We are going to compete in the provincial championship, where these requirements are not mandatory. And we want to point out that, throughout the current year, and if everything goes according to plan, with the new Board, the club will organise itself and meet all the requirements and conditions, so that next year it can participate in the competitions which it enters, if it is in Moçambola,” Tembe stressed.

“Foreign exchange error”

Regarding the statements made by Domingos Langa, president of the Maxaquene Management Commission, who presented the figures that were advanced by the national press, Efraime Tembe said he thought a foreign exchange error might have been made.

The Maxaquene Members Committee said it would continue to support the club, with a view to ensuring that the ‘Tricolor’ emblem returns to the Moçambola as soon as possible.

And by way of assistance during these difficulties, the Membership Committee presented a support package consisting of 30 sets of training equipment and 15 pairs of football boots.

Throughout this process, Domingos Langa has insisted that a large part of the club’s debt, which forced FIFA to suspend it from its premium tournaments, were contracted by the squad during the time it was chaired by Arlindo Mapande, who directed the 21st ‘Maxacas’ from July 2018 to September 13, 2019.

This was also denied at Tuesday’s press conference, this time by the then spokesman of the collective, Dadivo José, who said debt had increased by only 18 million meticais under the board of which he was a part.

“When Arlindo Mapande joined the club, the debt stood at 34 million meticais. It rose to 52 million meticais, so there was an increase of 18 million meticais, related to the payment of workers, coaches and athletes. A good part of the creditors of this company, and the debt, are elements of the club’s previous management,” José said.

“The increase in other creditors from 2018 to October 2019 reflects the loans contracted with some members of the board. By the end of 2020, the account report indicated that Maxaquene’s debt stood at 72 million meticais,” he added.

For now, it is expected that the case will be clarified at the collective’s General Assembly, sometime between April and May of this year, when the Maxaquene Sports Club’s new executive board will be elected.

By Elísio Uamusse

Source: O País