Zambian club decides against signing former Baroka striker Mbulu
Former Baroka forward Richard Mbulu is still club-hunting after failing to earn a contract with former Zambia Premier League champions ZESCO FC.
The Malawian international has been a free agent since June 2022, following the expiration of his three-year contract with the Limpopo outfit.
With his big profile as a player from the DStv Premiership in South Africa, a move to Zesco seemed a mere formality when he attended trials with the Lusaka-based team over the past few days.
However, Zesco spokesperson Desmond Katongo tells FARPost that the Numba Mumamba-led coaching panel is not considering offering the 28-year-old striker a contract.
“We had an interesting four-club tournament which saw a bit of one or two invited players invited to come on board just for the sake of looking at them and trying to see the possibility of bringing them on board,” Katongo tells FARPost.
“We had a good outing during the four-club tournament, and of course, we had Richard Mbulu, who had joined us during this tournament. I think the whole purpose was to assess. We are not looking beyond signing Richard Mbulu.”
The Malawi Defence Force soldier opted against staying at Baroka, who will campaign in the second-tier Motsepe Foundation Championship this forthcoming season following their relegation.
However, the former Costa do Sol player, who managed three goals across competitions for Baroka last season, was not keen on playing in the lower division.
During his trials in Zambia, the 2016 Malawi Super League Golden Boot Awardee (19 goals) featured in friendlies against Green Eagles, among other teams.
Mbulu, whose goal in the 1-0 win over Uganda earned Malawi the 2021 AFCON qualification, signed for the Bakgaga in 2019 from Costa do Sol following his impressive showing for the Flames at the Cosafa Cup held in South Africa the same year.
The Flames striker recently told FARPost that he was undecided on whether to extend his contract with Baroka or not beyond June 30 2022.
“My contract with Baroka expires on June 30 2022, and so far, there is no discussion regarding my future with Baroka. It is holiday time for me at the moment,” he said.
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