Early Christmas at Napsa Stars

By GRACE CHAILE LESOETSA
NAPSA Stars Football Club has given its eight players whose contracts were scheduled to end this December, an early Christmas present after it decided to extend their contracts to a further one year.
There has been fears of players being unemployed during this coronavirus period which has financially affected many clubs across the world following the suspension of play.
On Thursday, the world football governing body FIFA proposed to clubs that contracts be extended until such time that the season does actually end.
In an interview yesterday, Napsa Stars club chief executive officer Greg Nsofu said they have already renewed the contracts of their players without any conditions attached to ensure they continue to provide for their families.
“As Napsa, we have already done what FIFA has proposed. We have eight players whose contracts are to end this December. But looking at the current situation of Covid-19, we would not want to see any player jobless,”
“So we have extended the contracts of the eight players to a further one year (2021) and they were written to yesterday. It is my hope that the eight will work hard to ensure the team scores good results once the games resume,” Nsofu said.
He emphasised that the club will continue to put the lives of the players first and remained hopeful this difficult phase will pass.
Meanwhile, Kitwe-based Super Division side Power Dynamos club CEO Happie Munkondya said the club was studying the document from FIFA to amicably agree on the contract extension.
“It’s a good guideline from FIFA, and we know FIFA wants to protect the interest of the players. We are studying the document and we will see what we can apply from there. We will look at both the advantages to the players and the club to come up with an amicable decision,” Munkondya said.
Footballers and Allied Workers Union of Zambia (FAWUZ) general secretary Linos Chalwe described the extension of the players’ contracts as a doubled-edged sword which needs all stakeholders’ input to ensure a win-win situation for all.
“It’s a doubled-edged sword, because we are looking at ensuring the players don’t become jobless and also clubs not becoming liquidated as they are struggling financially.”