TP Mazembe threatens to report Mbola to FIFA
By Shamaoma Musonda
AFRICAN Champions League holders TP Mazembe have resolved to report Zambian defender Emmanuel Mbola and his former club Mining Rangers to FIFA over his alleged failure to return to the Lubumbashi side.
Mazembe, who are in Zimbabwe for an African Champions League tie without the left-back, are incensed by news that Mbola would on Wednesday next week be flying to England to start life with Premiership side Tottenham hot Spurs.
Mbola has been in Zambia since the World Cup break. Highly placed sources at TP Mazembe told the Times yesterday that the club would be writing to FIFA detailing them that Mbola had signed for them and subsequently disappeared.
“TP are very, very upset about what had transpired. Mbola has refused to return to Congo and that is despite huge sums of money spent on him. He is believed to be headed to England,” the source said.
Moses Katumbi, director at TP Mazembe has lured several Zambian internationals to the Lubumbashi side including Stopilla Sunzu and Given Singuluma.
Should TP Mazembe report the 17-year-old Mbola to FIFA, the player could face an embarrassing lay-off from football having earlier been involved in a similar transfer triangle involving Armenia giants Pyunik. TP Mazembe are believed to have spent up to US$ 300,000 on acquiring Mbola who by then was entangled in transfer web involving three clubs.
Mining Rangers from where Mbola came have refused to comment on the matter. Mining Rangers Director Elijah Chileshe said yesterday, “I do not want to be quoted on anything about Mbola, there is a lot of dirty talk and I shall not comment but yes, he is in the country”.
Mbola had soon after the Africa Cup Nations Cup in Angola, where he was impressive, gone to Tottenham for trials and ended up trekking to TP Mazembe where he was for three months before World Cup break. But after the world Cup, he has not returned to Congo and TP Mazembe are desperate to have him registered and feature in their quest to retain the Confederation of Africans football (CAF) Champions League crown.
Mbola ditched Pyunik after revelations that the player was forced to sign a professional contract as an underage. Mining had reported Pyunik to FIFA for forcing Mbola to sign a professional contract which was against the EU and FIFA statutes and was awaiting a decision.
