Mist over airtel top 8 fixture

Mist surrounds this afternoon’s Airtel Top 8 quarter-final second leg between Mighty Mukuru Wanderers and Silver Strikers at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre as the Nomads have vowed not to honour the fixture.

The Nomads contend that the match only be played upon conclusion of their appeal after appealing against the latest ruling on their abandoned first leg match in Lilongwe.

But Football Association of Malawi (FAM) yesterday turned down the Nomads request to postpone the  match pending their appeal to FAM appeals committee after the association’s  disciplinary committee upheld an earlier verdict by the competitions committee which awarded the match to Silver at 2-0 score line and fined the Nomads K24 million for misconduct.

Wanderers yesterday filed an intent to challenge the verdict and requested that for the third time, the match which was set for this afternoon at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre, should be postponed, a development likely to delay further conclusion of this year’s Airtel Top 8 edition.

However, FAM turned down the request, saying the match will go ahead in accordance with Articles 8.5 of the 2023 Airtel Top 8 Rules and Regulations.

Article 8.5 reads: “The competitions committee shall compile the fixtures for each round as per draw and release them to the clubs indicating their venue and the time the games are to be played. These are tentative or provisional fixtures and the competitions committee shall release confirmed fixtures at least 48 hours in advance.”

 In response, Wanderers have said they will not turn up for the match as doing so would be defeating the purpose of the appeal.

Wanderers lawyers Makiyi, Kanyenda & Associates confirmed their clients’ instructions to appeal the verdict and not  to honour the second leg until the matter is resolved.

“We shall file the grounds of appeal when the disciplinary committee provides a reasoned determination,” lawyer David Kanyenda said in an interview yesterday.

On the other hand, the Nomads’ legal adviser Chancy Gondwe said: “We will challenge that. We will not honour the fixture. We may consider taking the matter further to the Court of Arbitration for Sports.”

In a statement released yesterday signed by chief executive officer Roosevelt Mpinganjira, the Nomads sayid they are dissatisfied because the verdict was not made in the spirit of fair play.

 “The board is dismayed with the fact that both FAM’s competitions and  disciplinary committees do not take cognisance that the referee is the root cause of the challenges at hand.

“Wanderers is looking at the matter at hand as a landmark case which requires to be followed to the end in order to ensure that football officiation in Malawi and the football world as a whole be improved in order to ensure that the best team should carry the day at all times.”

“Mighty Mukuru Wanderers FC would like to take this opportunity to assure its supporters and partners that it remains committed to fight against injustices in football to the last drop for the betterment of the game.

“The era of bullying by football authorities in the name of rules and regulations must come to a halt because football is beautiful and fair play must be upheld at all cost. We are our own voice and that of the voiceless in this case.”