Bullets were forewarned on rejected players—FAM
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has disclosed that it forewarned Big Bullets on the four players that CAF has declared ineligible for the CAF Champions League preliminary round matches against Fomboni FC of the Comoros.
According to the association’s website, FAM was, therefore, surprised to note that Bullets had taken on board striker Chiukepo Msowoya and goalkeeper Owen Chaima to the Comoros for today’s encounter.
Msowoya, Chaima, Peter Mwangosi and Harvey Nkacha are not eligible for the preliminary stage because they were registered late for the continental showpiece. They will only be eligible to play from the quarter-final stage.
“FAM clearly advised Bullets on the same and was surprised to note that Bullets had taken Msowoya and Chaima for their first-round match against Fomboni this weekend,” FAM writes on the website.
“On the other hand, Msowoya and Chaima are yet to be cleared by Mozambique FA and Epac FC, respectively.”
FAM explains that it expected Bullets to rely on the initial 24-player squad they released in December 2014, which had Vincent Gona and Chimwemwe Kumkwawa as goalkeepers.
Suprisingly, Bullets general secretary Harold Fote was quoted in Friday’s edition of The Nation as saying the news that Chaima and Msowoya had been rejected had caught them off guard.
Fote said they had since arranged to have reserve goalkeeper Kumkwawa travel to the Comoros as back-up for Gona, but he ruled out the possibility of replacing Msowoya.
Although Bullets had registered Nkacha for the CAF campaign, his involvement with the team was uncertain. The Malawi Defence Force (MDF) indicated recently that despite approving the loan arrangement, the player was no longer interested in playing for Bullets.
