Sulom blames FAM on fixture stand-off
Super League of Malawi (Sulom) has blamed Football Association of Malwi (FAM) for the recent TNM Super fixture stand-off with Mighty Mukuru Wanderers.
In an interview on Sunday, Sulom general secretary Williams Banda also dismissed suggestions of a rift within the Sulom executive committee.
He was reacting to the controversy which surrounded the fixture between Dedza Dynamos and Wanderers which was scheduled for Sunday, but was eventually postponed after the Nomads threatened not to honour it. Wanderers argued that they contributed more than three players to the Malawi National Football Team, which faced Mozambique in an Africa Nations Championship qualifier on Saturday, as such needed to be exempted.
Said Banda: “There are no divisions in the executive committee. It was just a communication lapse on the fixture and national team players’ list.
“I chair the [TNM Super League] fixtures committee while the president Tiya Somba Banda chairs the FAM technical subcommittee. We were not given the [Flames] final squad in good time by FAM for easy planning.
“For the record, the squad was released on 25th August. We just need to improve on sharing information.
“Our calendar is very tight. Most teams in the league do not have sponsors and a prolonged season will cripple them. The lapse in communication affects planning of events. I believe in contact and dialogue and adherence to the law.”
He said Sulom is not informed of the players called into camp, thereby creating confusion.
Said Banda: “Camping takes a long time. Whenever the call-up is made, we plead that we should be given a copy, but that rarely happens. Teams are becoming victims of this kind of operation.”
In an interview yesterday, FAM general secretary Alfred Gunda said it is not true that they do not provide Sulom with the call-up list.
“It is a standard procedure that when a list is released, to be it the preliminary of final one, its is sent to all stakeholders, including clubs and Sulom. After all, it becomes a public document,” he said.”
