Nomads digesting abandoned match verdict

 Mighty Mukuru Wanderers say they are digesting the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) competitions subcommittee verdict which has upheld its earlier decision to fine the Nomads K24.5 million and award their abandoned Airtel Top 8 quarter-finals first leg to Silver Strikers.

The verdict comes after FAM disciplinary committee ordered a re-trial of the case following Wanderers’ appeal.

However, after hearing the case again, the competitions committee comprising chairperson High Court Judge Jabbar Alide, who is also FAM first vice-president, Super League of Malawi general secretary Williams Banda, Northern Region Football Association chairperson  Lameck Khonje, Southern Region Football Association chairperson Raphael Humba, Isabel Kachinjika, Chimwemwe Nyirenda, Dumisani Ngulube and FAM general secretary Alfred Gunda, has not changed its stance.

In the verdict, the committee dismissed all Wanderers arguments that they did not cause the abandonment of the match and that their supporters did not vandalise the stadium’s chairs.

The committee has fined the club K2.5 million and ordered that they should foot the cost of renovating the stadium damages which stand at K22 million.

However, Wanderers chief executive officer Roosevelt Mpinganjira said they will consult their lawyers on the next course of action.

He said: “We just got the verdict and we have forwarded it to our lawyers.

“They will digest it and after that that’s when we will comment on what we will do.”

The Nomads have 48 hours to appeal while the fine has to be paid within seven days, according to the verdict.

In the verdict, the committee says Wanderers did not bring any evidence to contradict the match reports submitted by FAM.

Reads the ruling: “Effectively, Mighty Mukuru Wanderers has not substantiated their earlier stand in the previous proceedings that its supporters neither perpetrated violence nor displayed inappropriate and improper behaviour during the match as per the match reports and video footage.

“However, for the sake of posterity, we take the liberty to speak on this matter further for clarity. The supporters were mostly seated on the right-hand side of the VIP extending to the western terraces. They were chanting and beating drums in support of Mighty Mukuru Wanderers during the games.

“It was not surprising that once the events started unfolding on the pitch, it were these sections that started throwing objects including stadium seats on to the pitch. These details are very clear in the television footage that was shared with Mighty Mukuru Wanderers.”