Mighty Mukuru Wanderers reject FAM verdict
Mighty Mukuru Wanderers have refused to pay for the damage of seats to Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe during their Airtel Top 8 quarter-final first leg against Silver Strikers, saying they did not hire the facility.
One of the club’s directors Humphrey Mvula announced the position during a press conference at Golden Peacock Hotel in Blantyre on Thursday.
He was reacting to Football Association of Malawi (FAM) competitions committee’s decision to fine the club about K22 million for the damages and a further K2.5 million for causing the abandonment of the match, failing to control their supporters and bringing the game of football into disrepute, among others.
Mvula, who was accompanied by fellow directors Clement Stambuli, Limbani Magomero and Chris Gondwe, said: “Look, we never hired the stadium, it was also not our home ground.
He said: “That’s not all. They didn’t even show us the items in the stadium prior to the match, neither were we invited for the assessment process as an accused party.
“Further to that, what evidence do they have to show that it was our supporters? Did the police arrest any supporter belonging to Wanderers and how do we know that all these seats were destroyed during the match?
“So, our stand is that we are not paying for that.”
Mvula also said as a club, they have reservations on how the figure was arrived at as quotations show that the seats cost far much less.
The former Wanderers chairperson further said the Nomads continued participation in the 2023 edition of the Airtel Top 8 will depend on how FAM will handle their case.
Said Mvula: “Rules of natural justice need to be applied and we need to be heard.
“We will not take any further part in the tournament until the issue is brought to its logical conclusion.”
He said they believe the club is being targeted because of its sponsors.
“Let’s not bring politics into football issues,” said Mvula.
On his part, Stambuli dwelt on the issue of referee, saying his punishment needs to be reviewed. He described it as lenient.
He said: “And again, if the referee’s decision is final, why did the committee change it to 2-0 when in his report, the referee put 2-1?
“The cause of the abandonment was the referee. He is the one at the centre of all this and we thank the referees committee for establishing that he erred, but the punishment was not enough.
“FAM has a big task to address the challenges in football, otherwise if this continues, it will affect the development of the game.
“We always talk about bringing the game into disrepute, but how about some of the boardroom decisions that are made, don’t they bring the game into disrepute?”
Magomero said it is only in Malawi where a referee’s decision is final.
“There are several cases that referees decisions have been overturned by Fifa, but we are still stuck in the Stone Age and that is why we give examples of Diego Maradona’s ‘hand of God’ which occurred in 1986.”
Wanderers, who are Airtel Top 8 defending champions, also said they are going ahead with their appeal in which they are being represented by Kalekeni Kaphale and David Kanyenda.
FAM competitions and communications director Gomezgani Zakazaka said: “Wanderers appealed against the compeitions committee verdict and the matter is before our disciplinary committee.
“So, we have nothing to comment as the matter is no longer within the jurisdiction of secretariat.”
Ministry of Youth and Sports spokesperson MacMilan Mwale said as owners of the facility, they are engaging FAM, who hired the facility.
He said: “As owners, we hold the organisers of the match liable. We are not dealing with the club directly.
Wanderers were fined after their fans allegedly damaged seats during the Airtel Top 8 quarter-finals first leg against Silver.
The match was abandoned when Silver Strikers scored after the referee had blown for a handball.
