Bosso might miss out on Kuda Mahachi, still to be cleared

SOUTH African Absa premiership side Mamelodi Sundowns-bound prolific striker Kudakwashe Mahachi is still to be cleared by the last team he played for, Chicken Inn.

It has also emerged that Bantu Rovers, the club that owns the rights to the player, were yet to receive a clearance from Chicken Inn.

Mahachi signed for Sundowns early this year following his outstanding performance at the 2014 African Nations Championships in South Africa. He was, however, immediately loaned to Highlanders as Sundowns had already fulfilled its quota of five foreign players in this season's campaign.

Details have emerged that although Highlanders used a clearance from Bantu Rovers to register the player, they could only register Mahachi on condition that there were supporting documents from his previous club.

With the deadline for PSL registration being Wednesday, the player might fail to play while waiting to play for Sundowns in June.

Bantu Rovers chairman Wilbert Sibanda said they gave Highlanders a clearance but were still to receive one from Chicken Inn.

"We gave Highlanders the clearance but Chicken Inn is yet to give us one although they said it was ready and they have sent it but I have not received it. I am yet to check my mail, maybe when I check on Monday (tomorrow) it will be there," he said.

Chicken Inn secretary Tavengwa Hara said they cleared Mahachi back to Bantu Rovers, who in turn did the same for Highlanders.

"Bantu Rovers came to us requesting clearances for two players, Zephania Ngodzo and Mahachi and we obliged but what we did for Zephaniah is that we sent documentation to FC Platinum, his then parent club, who then cleared him to Bantu. I don't think there is a problem with Mahachi's clearance because I understand Bantu wrote it and gave it to Highlanders, which was used to register the player with PSL," he said.

Hara said he was not sure whether Bantu are in possession of the clearance from his club but they had written it.

"I have been out of office so I am not sure whether they took it but it is there. There is no reason why we would stand in the way of the player after we received an undertaking that we would be getting our development fee that we are entitled to," said Hara.

"Actually Highlanders should also get a percentage of the development fee because he played with them for three years as a junior and he was with us for the same period of time," he said.

There was a scramble for Mahachi by local clubs after learning that Sundowns could only have him in their side for their next season which begins in August.

Highlanders, Chicken Inn and Dynamos were all hopeful of landing the prolific player whose antics at CHAN saw him being named among players for the team of the tournament.

Highlanders' chairman, Peter Dube yesterday said they were still awaiting documentation from Chicken Inn to register the player although he  believed there was no anomaly relating to the player's transfer.

Dube, however, expressed concern at the delay saying it was taking unnecessarily too long with the PSL 26 March player registration deadline looming.

"I believe all is in order and whatever issue there are would be solved amicably with all hope that the registration process goes through in the interest of the player," he said.

According to Fifa statutes no club can stop a player moving from it to another but can only negotiate its fee.