Kick off delay worries Sulom
Kick off delay worries sulom
Super League of Malawi (Sulom) has expressed reservations with a Football Association of Malawi (FAM) decision to delay TNM Super League kick off, saying it will negatively affect the calendar.
FAM has bowed down to pressure from clubs and shifted the 2023 TNM Super League kick-off from April 8 to April 15.
But Sulom says this will affect fixtures because the first round is already crammed due to Cosafa Cup, FDH Bank Cup and 2023 African Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier against Ethiopia.
Initially, FAM released a calendar which indicated that the 2023 season will kick off on April 1 with the NBS Bank plc-sponsored Charity Shield.
However, clubs that contribute players to the national team, which is scheduled to depart for Saudi Arabia tomorrow for a 14-day camping in preparation for the back-to-back 2023 Afcon qualifiers against Egypt later this month, threatened not to release their players. They argued that they will not have enough time with them before the season kicks-off.
In a letter to FAM dated March 5, Silver Strikers acting chief executive officer Faith Mzungu-Vilakati asked FAM to consider delaying the league kick-off or else the Bankers would not release their players.
The letter reads in part: “To this end, we would like to request that FAM should consider engaging the Super League of Malawi to delay the commencement of the domestic league if our club is to release its player for national team camping. This will enable our new coach to have adequate and ample time to prepare his team for the new season.”
FAM competitions and communications director Gomezgani Zakazaka, in an interview yesterday, confirmed the changes to the calendar.
He said: “The TNM Super League kick-off has indeed been shifted. Instead of the season starting on April 1 it will start on April 8 with the Charity Shield while the league will follow a week later on April 15.
“The first round is expected to wrap up on July 23 while the second round will start two weeks later and conclude on November 12.”
However, Sulom general secretary Williams Banda said FAM should have consulted them on the matter.
He said: “While we agree with the clubs’ concerns, FAM should have consulted us on some of the changes.
“For example, following the changes made, the first round which normally has 13 weeks now has less than that since it will finish on July 23. It’s not adding up.
“How will we plan the fixtures with less than 13 weeks for the first round when we also have the Cosafa Cup, 2023 Afcon qualifier against Ethiopia and the FDH Bank Cup during the same period?
“Mind you, these changes are what lead to erratic fixtures and at the end of the day it is Sulom which will be blamed.”
Unlike the first calendar which was approved by FAM executive committee in January, the latest one has also included the Saudi Arabia trip which is outside Fifa calendar.
Following the announcement of the initial calendar, Mighty Mukuru Wanderers coach Mark Harrison complained that he would not have time to integrate about six players who will be with the national team as they would have been out for six weeks and would return home tired with just a week before kick-off.
On the other hand, Silver coach Pieter de Jongh vowed not to release his players for the trip, saying apart from being outside Fifa calendar dates, he will not have enough time to fine-tune his charges.
Bullets chief administration officer Albert Chigoga also questioned the timing of the Saudi Arabia trip.
However, following the changes, all the clubs have agreed to release the players.
Flames coach Mario Marinica said he was glad that they had reached an amicable solution with the clubs.
He said: “That should give the clubs ample time to prepare after the players’ national duties are over on March 28th.”
