Chihana backtracks on crisis meet

The Malawi National Council of Sports has announced the cancellation of the crisis meeting which Youth and Sports Minister Enoch Chihana had called for tomorrow to discuss the Sulom Disciplinary Committee verdict on Mighty Wanderers and Silver Strikers over the violence at Balaka Stadium a fortnight ago.

This comes amid concerns from some quarters that the minister’s move was ill-timed as the matter had not been exhausted by the necessary channels.

Sports Council executive secretary George Jana said the meeting has been postponed because the necessary channels have not been exhausted.

“For now the meeting has been put on hold because of the case that is in process. The minister wants to tackle it as a general concerns, but we could not proceed until the case is resolved since it is now at an appeal level,” said Jana.

Earlier in the week, Chihana told our sister paper The Nation that government is concerned with continued acts of violence as well as how Sulom Disciplinary Committee handled the case.

Chihana said government would invite Sports Council, FAM, Sulom and Super League clubs to the meeting scheduled for Malawi Sun Hotel in Blantyre.

“Things were getting out of hand, hence this meeting. I have made it clear [before] that as government, we do not like to interfere in football matters. But when things get out of hand, we have to come in and create a conducive atmosphere for football,” said Chihana earlier in the week.

However, Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president Walter Nyamilandu and his Super League of Malawi (Sulom) counterpart Innocent Bottoman expressed ignorance on the matter.

“For us, the matter is in the hands of Sulom who are supposed to hear the appeals. It will only be referred to FAM after they have exhausted all issues,” said the FAM president.

Bottoman said: “I do not know anything pertaining to that meeting. All I know is that the issue is at an appeal stage following FAM’s directive.

“Our understanding is that if the clubs will not be satisfied by the outcome of the appeal, then it will have to be referred to FAM. I believe that is the procedure.”