FAM okays playoffs

Playoffs meant to identify a 16th team to join the TNM Super League in 2016 season will kick off tomorrow at Civo Stadium after Football Association of Malawi (FAM) gave Super League of Malawi (Sulom) a green right.

Sulom wrote FAM notifying the mother body of the intention to hold playoffs and that one of the relegated teams Dedza Young Soccer was protesting the idea.

In a response letter we have seen, FAM general secretary Suzgo Nyirenda, acknowledged the need to hold playsoffs despite earlier club licensing manager Casper Jangale having indicated that it would not be possible for a 16th team to join the league.

Jangale ha argued that by March 12, the association would have completed licensing of Super League clubs.

But Sulom general secretary Williams Banda yesterday said in an interview that the issue had now been sorted out with FAM.

“We explained to FAM that we had an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) in November where it was decided to have 16 teams and that the executive committee made a decision on the criteria of identifying the 16th team,” said Banda.

“We gave them minutes to the EGM and also explained to FAM that as of 2016, three bottom-placed teams—Airborne, Wizards and Dedza Young Soccer—were relegated from the league, hence, the only way to identify another team was to hold playoffs.”

The playoffs start with Airborne facing Wizards today before Airborne play Dedza Young Soccer on Saturday.

The last match is between Wizards and Dedza Young Soccer on Sunday.