Man-of-match outcry

A T-shirt and cap as rewards for being TNM Super League man-of-the-match? ‘That is uninspiring,’ the league’s players have made it clear to the Super League of Malawi (Sulom).

Nation on Sunday

interviewed players and officials for defending champions Silver Strikers, Mighty Wanderers, Blantyre United, Mafco, Blue Eagles, Big Bullets, Civo United and Moyale Barracks who want value added to the prize as is the case in other leagues.

They cited the South Africa Premiership where man-of-match winners pocket K40 000 (R 2 000) with K200 000 (R5 000) for cup games. In Zimbabwe, is it pegged at K80 000 ($200) for league and K200 000 ($500) for cup games, said Caps United midfielder Gerald Phiri. A bottle of champagne was until recently man-of-match prize in the English Premier League.

Mafco skipper Zasher M’nong’oneza said such meagre prizes can be a source of jokes: “anzakonso m’malo mokusilira amayamba kumakugemulanso kuti wogulitsa ma units chifukwa cha zomwe walandirazo sizimagwirizanaso ndi mpira. [instead of being envious of your award, team-mates poke fun at you as being airtime vendor]”

Civo United general secretary Rashid Ntelela said it was important for such awards to be of value “in this case, the caps and T-shirts are just the common TNM ones and I am sure the players give them away before reaching their homes.”

Bullets vice-captain Chiku Kanyenda and Eagles skipper John Banda minced no words that such awards were not inspiring. Sponsors TNM sponsorship and public relations manager Limbani Nsapato had not responded to a questionnaire when going to print.

“Of course, the wish to be called man-of-the match alone inspires the players inside the field, but the competition would have been more if the prize was attractive because the T-shirt and a cap means nothing to me. A bit of cash or something such as a cellphone would have increased competition among the players,” said Kanyenda.

Banda, separately, agreed with Blantyre United winger Tafarai Mopiwa, who recently won such an award, that motivation in the modern game comes through money. Sports reporters and officials determine stand-out players.

“It’s not an inspiration at all, they need to increase the prizes and follow right procedure when choosing man-of-the match. There must be people specific people to be choosing that,” wrote Banda in an e-mail.

Wanderers and Silver captains Francis Mlimbika and Lucky Malata said local players face financial hurdles which could ease with monetary incentives through such awards “instead of a mere T-shirt.”

Moyale general secretary Major Grey Maluwa called for the league to reconsider the prizes. Wanderers’ general secretary Mike Butao had issues with the actual selection criteria in smaller venues such as Balaka stadiums “where the people who choose are questionable.”

Sulom general secretary Williams Banda did not respond to the players’ concerns but, sources told Nation on Sunday that the league’s leadership has despite an outcry from teams, ignored such calls.

However, Sulom president Innocent Botomani admitted that the players’ concerns are valid, but “such awards are a gift from the sponsors and we need to revisit the award and go back to the sponsors. TNM are flexible. We will talk to them.”

In cups, FAM competitions officer Gomezgani Zakazaka said it is only in Carlsberg Cup where players earn K10 000 for being man-of-match from the quarterfinals stage “it is K10 000 per award. We are also looking at doing the same with the Standard Bank and the Presidential Cup this year.”

Such man-of-match awards translate to player of month recognition which eventually culminates in player of year crowns, hence they are important. In recent past players used to get umbrellas and wrist watches, but in the last two seasons that has not been the case.

As a result, the league continues to lose its cream to greener pastures of Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa where incentives are far much better than in Malawi where player of year goes home with some K100 000.

Flames striker Esau Kanyenda has won such awards in South Africa and noted that the little regard for similar awards in Malawi “shows how not serious we are not in football and I think is time now people who played football to run the game.”