Ball boys boycott Army games

Ball boys have resolved to shun Malawi Defence Force (MDF) teams’ matches in reaction to the assault of one of them by Kamuzu Barracks’ Ben Hojani at Kamuzu Stadium on Saturday.

The boys’ supervisor Watson Saizi said they wanted to put across a message to the football fraternity that the boys play an important role; hence, they do not deserve abuse.

“The boy suffered head and leg injuries and has since been admitted to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital. People are being cruel to the kids. They have not even had the courtesy to follow up on his condition,” said Saizi after Hojani slashed down one of the boys simply called Nyoza on Saturday at the giant arena on suspicion that he was employing delaying tactics to frustrate KB.

The boys were conspicuously absent when KB drew 2-2 with Evirom in TNM Super League match which was marred by violence and hooliganism partly because referee Any Kuseli showed yellow cards to several Evirom players before giving captain Acid Sumbeja marching orders for time wasting.

The players took advantage of the boys’ absence to kill off time when collecting the ball outside the pitch.

But KB team manager Francis Shaba described as exaggeration talk that Hojani assaulted the ball boy.

“I have seen the police report, there is no indication of injury. It is not even true to suggest that he has been admitted,” Shaba said, accusing members of Bullets coaching panel of instructing the ball boys to kill time.

In England, Eden Hazard of Chelsea was fined and banned for violent conduct after he assaulted a ball boy while trying to retrieve the ball in a match against Swansea City in January this year.