Mafco FC have said they will challenge some of the charges levelled against them by Super League of Malawi (Sulom) despite admitting that their players assaulted FCB Nyasa Bullets player Wongani Lungu.
The Salima-based Malawi Defence Force (MDF) side apologised for the incident that left the Bullets midfielder injured during Sunday’s match at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre.
Sulom has charged Vitumbiko Phiri, Blessings Chandiyang’ana and Duncan Mwale for assaulting Lungu while goalkeeper Christopher Mikuwa has been charged with attacking Chawanangwa Gumbo.
However, Mafco chairperson Captain Kondwani Banda in an interview yesterday said the apology does not mean they fully accept all the charges laid down by Sulom.
He said: “Having written Bullets doesn’t mean everything written in the charges is correct. Still we have to enlighten each other with Sulom on some charges.”
The four players are answering a charge of assault contrary to Article 26.2.30.3 of Sulom rules and regulations.
Mafco have also been charged with bringing the league into disrepute contrary to Article 26.2.51 and have to respond within 48 hours.
The club already apologised to Bullets and the public for the incident which went viral on social media.
In its press statement, Mafco condemned the conduct of the players and promised to “take full responsibility of the players’ actions and take disciplinary action within the confines of applicable rules and regulations”.
Meanwhile, Bullets, during a press briefing on Tuesday, asked Mafco to ‘walk the talk’ if they were sincere in their apology on the incident.
The People’s Team acting chief executive officer Albert Chigoga said the club must show that it did not just issue the statement and apology as lip service.
He said: “We accepted the apology from Mafco. We welcomed their stance that they will take full responsibility for the action of their players.
“We look forward to seeing the club doing this so that others should learn a lesson so that such a thing should never happen again in Malawi football.”
Chigoga said they also expect Sulom to conclude the case swiftly since there is overwhelming evidence on what transpired.
He said: “We are aware that there are procedures that Sulom follows in dealing with matters of indiscipline and we also believe that there are procedures that Sulom is following to make the right determination.”
