Goshen City Dedza Dynamos chairperson Gerald Kampanikiza has moved to clarify growing concerns over delayed player payments, stressing that the challenges being reported around signing-on fees and Castel Challenge Cup prize money are not a result of sponsor negligence, but rather internal administrative delays within the club structure.
This follows reports that players at the K1.2 billion FDH Bank Premiership side are yet to receive their signing-on bonuses and their share of last season's Castel Challenge Cup runner-up prize money, a situation which has been linked to the team's poor start to the 2026 season.
However, Kampanikiza insists the club's principal sponsor has been fully committed and responsive throughout, and has continued to support the team financially and institutionally. He said the sponsor's concerns have largely been triggered by delays in club reporting and execution of required administrative processes, rather than any failure to fund the team.
"The sponsor has been doing everything, but sponsors always want to be satisfied with what the team is doing," Kampanikiza said. He explained that following the match against Red Lions in Zomba, the sponsor called for an emergency crisis meeting where concerns were raised about the club's operations and performance.
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According to Kampanikiza, the sponsor had requested key reports and financial proposals to guide disbursements and planning, but the club failed to submit them on time. "They wanted the reports and proposals on Monday, but we only managed to submit the required budget on Friday," he said, adding that this delay contributed significantly to the timing of financial processing.
He further revealed that some internal complications also slowed down progress, including disagreements over partial disbursement of player dues. "Some players refused to accept half of their dues, which complicated the process further," he said.
On the issue of the Castel Challenge Cup prize money, Kampanikiza explained that the funds were eventually received by the club, but were later diverted to urgent operational needs within the team. He admitted that this has created uncertainty over how and when players will be compensated. "We are yet to decide whether the players should receive something or not, and if yes, how much," he said.
Despite the current challenges, Kampanikiza maintained that the sponsor remains committed to the long-term success of Goshen City Dedza Dynamos and has continued to engage with the club in good faith. He assured that all outstanding issues, including signing-on fees, will be resolved once internal processes are completed and financial planning is finalised.
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"The sponsor is not the problem. The issue is timing and administration on our side. Everything will be sorted out this week," he said.
The clarification comes amid growing concern over the team's poor start to the season, with Dedza Dynamos collecting just one point from their opening four fixtures and sitting at the bottom of the 16-member FDH Bank Premiership table.
