Clubs ‘desperate’ for subventions
Five weeks after the 2023 TNM Super League kicked off, clubs are yet to get the revised K4 million annual subventions each and some teams have said desperation is taking a toll on them.
TNM plc, sponsors of the top-flight football league, announced a 400 percent hike in the subvention from K16 million to K66 million during the official prize presentation for last season earlier this year.
The 16 teams are this season set to receive K4 million each, up from K1million which the clubs were getting since TNM plc started sponsoring the flagship league in 2006.
Blantyre-based rookies Bangwe All-Stars said while they are assured of the subvention, they are “a bit worried with the delay”.
Said the Bangwe Township-based side’s team manager Stevie Madeira: “We know we’ll get the money, but it’s a question of when.
“There are lots of logistics that we require funding at the start of the season such as equipment, uniforms and signing-on fees and the plan was to use the funds to cover those areas.
“So, while there could be some technical hitches that have delayed the process, we are desperate as we have no sponsors.”
On his part, Chitipa United general secretary Duma Ngoma said: “It is obvious we are affected because the subvention was part of our budget, but we are not panicking.”
In a separate interview, Mighty Waka-Waka Tigers technical director Robin ‘Abambo’ Alufandika urged Sulom to speed up the process.
He said: “The league is up and running and this is the time we need money more. It helps complement our budget and the sooner Sulom fast-tracks the process, the better.”
But Sulom treasurer Allie Mwachande said he is optimistic that the clubs will get the subventions by the end of this week.
He said: “The subventions are being processed and they should be ready this week.”
Meanwhile, Mwachande has said that the K7 million subvention which Sulom president Fleetwood Haiya pledged to each club, was not meant to come from his pocket.
He said: “What he meant was that the subventions which clubs would get will be a minimum of K7 million each.”
