National Sports

Sulom newcomers sure to survive

New Super League entrants Kabwafu FC of the Northern Region Football League; and Nchalo United and Bvumbwe Research from Southern Region Football League (SRFL) face a tough ahead in the flagship league as they live hand to mouth due to lack of steady sponsorship.

SRFL chairperson Trouble Kalua has since expressed fear that Nchalo and Bvumbwe might find it financially tough in the top-flight league as they depend on individual assistance and not necessarily on a fixed budget.

“Take the top teams, for example, Nchalo are what used to be called Illovo. They lost sponsorship and are run by individuals. Bvumbwe are supported by individuals, so too are Polychem and Brave Warriors. Club sponsorship is a big problem and I do not think any of these teams will survive in the top league without a good financial base,” said Kalua.

But the story is different with their Central Region Football League newly promoted counterparts Kamuzu Barracks (KB).

He said the fear is that the unsponsored teams might fail to fulfil their fixtures because of lack of sponsorship.

“I know these teams have said they are ready for the challenges in the Super League, but the reality on the ground is that they do not have sound financial base. There is need for companies to come in to assist,” said Kalua.

But in separate interviews this week, the three clubs insisted that they have financial guarantees to survive the season.

Nchalo, who spent about K1.6 million (about $9 580) this season were bailed out from closing shop last March by Illovo Sugar Company Malawi after they accumulated a K670 000 (about $4 011) debt.

Despite this development, Nchalo management still expressed optimism that the club can sustain itself in the Super League.

“It is true Illovo paid off our credit we had for transport, boots, affiliation fees and many other things. At a meeting we had with them later, they assured us that they would support us once we get promotion to the Super League, so they are our hope for survival,” said club general secretary Zaheer Issa.

Illovo national sales manager Walter Nyamilandu confirmed assisting Nchalo United this season, but said the company has not yet made a commitment towards sponsorship.

“They are a team within our perimeter and we felt obliged to assist them, but that was a one-off assistance, not a commitment for the whole season,” said Nyamilandu.

Nchalo have two games to finish the season. They will play BNC and Chanco at home. If they win both games, they are sure of Super League promotion.

Bvumbwe Research patron and sponsor James Chuma said this week he is ready to sponsor the side in the Super League.

“I am committed to that. After all, the whole reason I have been financing the team in the SRFL was to see it getting promoted,” said Chuma.

He added that his desire is to develop football in his home district of Thyolo by making sure Bvumbwe make it into the top-flight league.

“It is not like I want to benefit anything from it. I just want to assist in developing football. We want Thyolo to be represented in the Super League,” said Chuma who revealed that he has spent over K5 million (about $30 000) in the campaign for the promotion.

According to Bvumbwe team manager Richard Lister, players get K1 000 (about $6) for a win and K200 (about $1.19) training allowance.

“We also pay them monthly upkeep allowances ranging from K7 000 (about $41) to K8 000 (about $47), but the figures are likely to go up once we join the Super League,” said Lister.

Kabwafu spent K1.5 million (about $9 000) in the Super League promotion campaign.

“We have been assured by Kabwafu Farmers Trust, a consortium of 850 farmers in the region, that they are ready to finance the team,” the team’s general secretary Watson Zimba assured Weekend Nation in an interview this week.

He said the K1.5 million (about $9 000) they spend was contributed by the farmers.

“Although there are challenges ahead, we are optimistic that we shall survive. The farmers have pledged to fund the team’s operations and the welfare of the players,” said Zimba.

He said currently the players get a K9 000 (about $53) monthly upkeep allowance each.

Kabwafu will have to travel 90 kilometres to fulfil a home fixture at Mzuzu Stadium. Their longest journey to fulfil and away fixture will be about 900 kilometres to Nchalo, which is estimated to cost over K750 000 (about $4 491).

Zimba said the Trust’s reward for its investment in the team is success and pride “because the name Kabwafu is now on the map of Malawi”.

Meanwhile, Kamuzu Barracks’ newly appointed spokesperson Captain Lameck Kalenga has said the side will be financed by Army Headquarters and not 2MR (Second Malawi Riffles) as was the case in the past.

“They have pledged to buy us a bus. However, the directorate of training in MDF will be responsible for paying affiliation fees to Sulom,” said Kalenga.

KB players were not getting any game allowances while in the Central Region Football League (CRFL), because most players were MDF employees. Civilian players were getting K2 000 ($11) a month, according to coach Joseph Chilapondwa.

Last season, Red Lions operated on a K7.1 million (about $43 000) budget, but the Army Headquarters had to come in now and again with additional funding.

Kalenga said they are yet to discus next season’s budget.

Teams such as Embangweni United, Nkhata Bay United, Blackpool and Zomba United failed to stay in the top-flight league in previous seasons because of financial hardships resulting in their forfeiting points.

Football Association of Malawi (FAM) rules stipulate that a team promoted to the Super League has first to guarantee financial backing.

“If a team fails to sustain itself in the league, the punishment is relegation, with conditions that it shall not be accepted in the top league if it earns promotion again, but we never had such a situation,” said FAM executive member James Mwenda.

Sulom president Innocent Bottomani concurred with FAM on the punishment.

“We are not scaring the new teams, but first they really have to prove that they have a strong financial base to stay in the league,” said Bottomani.

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