Karonga United risk home ban

Karonga United risk a ban from playing at their home Karonga Stadium following the violence that marred their TNM Super League match against FCB Nyasa Bullets on Wednesday.

Super  League of Malawi (Sulom) general secretary Williams Banda said they received a complaint from Bullets and they are now waiting for reports from various stakeholders , including their representative at the match Henry Banda.

He said: “Appropriate action will be taken once we receive all the reports from various stakeholders.

“But indeed Karonga United are on a 12 months suspended three game home ban imposed in October.”

 Bullets chief administration officer Albert Chigoga in an interview confirmed having lodged a complaint with Sulom.

He said: “We lodged a complaint with Sulom after what happened on Tuesday when we were chased from the venue by Karonga supporters.

“Following the incident on the match day, we will also lodge another complaint with Sulom, specifically on what happened on Wednesday.

“It was so scary. Our bus was smashed and we had to leave for Blantyre immediately under police escort.”

The latest incident happened despite Karonga United assuring that there would be no room for a repeat of  the events of Tuesday.

The statement reads in part: “We unequivocally distance ourselves from such deplorable and unsporting behaviours exhibited by a few individuals.

“Karonga United FC does not align itself with such acts of violence and condemns them in the strongest terms.

“Those responsible for these actions have acted on their own accord. Our club comprehends and upholds the rules and regulations governing our beloved sports.

“We assure the public that any attempt to tarnish the reputation of Karonga United through such barbaric behaviour will be met with necessary actions.

“Our club stands for values that uphold fair play and sportsmanship, disassociating itself from any such misconduct.”

Karonga United general secretary Ramzy Simwaka yesterday said the club was dismayed by the behaviour of the unknown persons.

He said: “Those people are not our supporters. They are just people from surrounding communities who come to watch the matches and cause trouble”

Simwaka said the club has been suffering because of the behaviour of the perpetrators of the violence, adding that the executive will resign if they do not change.

 “It is sad that these people don’t know how their behaviour affects us as the executive committee. It is us who end up going around in search for funds to pay fines.

“It is also us who we will go around searching for funds for transport to play elsewhere if we are banned from Karonga Stadium.

The latest incident follows an earlier suspended home ban that Football Association of Malawi (FAM) imposed on the club for a similar case of misconduct when their supporters assaulted a referee in their FDH Bank Cup match against Kamuzu Barracks  of Lilongwe.

In the latest case, Bullets were blocked from training at the venue on Tuesday while on the match day on Wednesday,  the game was stopped for 10 minutes due to crowd trouble.

Bullets, who won the match 1-0 courtesy of  a Patrick Mwaungulu goal, had to leave the venue under police escort as their bus was attacked by unidentified persons.

Karonga were in October fined K1 million after being found guilty of failing to prevent their supporters from pelting  the second assistant referee with objects which left him with a cut  his chin forcing their FDH Bank Cup Round of 32 match against Kamuzu Barracks to be stopped for 20 minutes.

The ruling also imposed a three match ban from playing their home matches at Karonga Stadium, which was suspended for a period of 12 months on condition that during that period, the club is not found guilty of the same offence again.