Masters players grab team’s gate revenue

Masters Security players stormed the room where cashiers were balancing gate revenue and grabbed their team’s share from the TNM Super League match against Nyasa Big Bullets at Dedza Stadium on Sunday.

Super League of Malawi (Sulom) general secretary Williams Banda yesterday confirmed the development.

The players, led by their captain Richard Chande, decided to snatch the team’s share of gate revenue amounting to K240 000 following the club’s failure to pay them their dues for the past three months.

Chande justified the players’ action, saying they were left with no other option because the club was not taking heed of their pleas to pay their dues.

“We have families that we look after. After staying for three months without pay, how does the club think we are surviving?” said Chande.

Coach Abbas Makawa also voiced the same concerns when the team lost to Be Forward Wanderers a week ago, saying lack of the players’ welfare was affecting the team’s performance.

But despite Masters’ financial problems, they still managed to snatch a point from Nyasa Big Bullets following a goalless draw.

Ironically, the two sides are representing Malawi in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) club competitions.

Bullets will participate in Champions League while Masters are flag-carriers in the Confederations Cup.

Of late, both teams have been struggling in the league, raising questions on whether they can survive in the competitions.

But while Bullets’ problems are on the pitch, Masters seem to be technical as well as financially challenged.

However, Football Association of Malawi (FAM) club licensing and compliance manager Casper Jangale said the two teams managed to provide K15 million surety.

“They both were certified by banks as their surety,” he said.

On the players’ grievances, Jangale said they could have used a better channel than to grab the gate revenue.