Clubs protest officiation

TNM Super League clubs have tasked the Super League of Malawi (Sulom) to address their growing concerns against officiation.

The concern was raised during a review meeting between Sulom and the clubs at the weekend in Lilongwe.

The clubs cited the suspension of three referees in the first round as testimony that the match officials were failing to take a firm line.

Silver Strikers board chairperson George Kaudza Masina said: “The general consensus was that referees are not performing to the expected standards.

“It was observed that clubs have been complaining week in, week out against officiation and Sulom leadership assured the meeting that it would engage the referees’ body.”

FCB Nyasa Bullets chief administration officer Albert Chigoga said: “Officiation has been terrible this season and Sulom, as a regulator, should seriously address the issue for the good of the game.”

Chitipa United general secretary Duma Ngoma said: “Most teams indeed registered their concerns against officiation. It wasn’t  much about incompetence, but preconceived ideologies on which teams ought to be winning and losing. Something needs to be done, especially now that the second round is getting hot.”

Sulom president Fleetwood Haiya confirmed the concern, saying they will engage the National Football Referees Association (NFRA) on the matter.

He said: “The clubs felt in some cases, the referees are not acting professionally. Of course, we understand that they are only human and they are bound to err, but in some cases, it affects the results.

“On the other hand, we are looking at assigning retired referees to have sessions with clubs on laws of the game so that players, officials and even administrators are conversant with the same.”

NRFA general secretary Chris Kalichero acknowledged that it was not all rosy for referees in the first round.

“There are reasons referees are not performing to the expected standards and one of them is lack of seminars as we do not meet regularly to discuss laws of the game,” he said.

Kalichero also said when they meet Sulom, they will also present their grievances.

“We are being faulted without looking at the other side. In the first round, competition was very high in that  small clubs stunned big teams and whenever that happens, the blame goes to the referees,” he said.

The first round was characterised by some anomalies on the part of the referees, which led to Football Association of Malawi cracking its whip and suspending some of them.

Michael Mwambyale, who officiated the match between Mighty Waka Waka Tigers and Mighty Mukuru Wanderers, was handed a six-month suspension for denying the Kau-Kau Boys a clear goal.

He, alongside the fourth official Marko Dzimbasekwa, were also punished for not sending off Nomads’ striker Christopher Kumwembe after accumulating two yellow cards and failing to record the same.

In another incident, Alfred Chilinda, who officiated the match between Bullets and Civil Service United, was handed a four-month suspension for denying the Civil Servants a clear goal.

He was also faulted for denying Bullets two clear penalties.

Meanwhile, the meeting also resolved  that due to the crammed nature of fixtures, some games should be played mid-week.