Sulom faulted on relegation

Relegated Dedza Young Soccer and football pundits have accused Super League of Malawi (Sulom) of being unprofessional for failing to enforce a resolution to increase the number of teams in the top-flight league to 16.

The resolution, if effected this season, could have seen two teams only relegated into the regional leagues.

However, Sulom has maintained that the decree will be enforced next season meaning that Dedza, which finished on position 13 in a 15-member league, has been relegated.

Speaking in an interview yesterday, Dedza coach Milias Pofera Jegwe has argued that it was unprofessional for Sulom to table the proposal at its recent extraordinary general meeting (EGM) if the matter was not urgent.

“The EGM is supposed to tackle emergency issues that cannot wait for the AGM. If the matter was tabled it meant that it was an urgent issue whose resolutions must have been implemented instantly,” the outspoken coach said.

The coach, whose team lost 2-1 to Epac on Saturday to confirm their relegation, has asked Sulom to implement the resolution this season.

“We haven’t given up all hope of retaining Super League status. We believe that Sulom will look at this issue critically. Otherwise we will feel cheated if these officials do not change their stand,” he said.

Meanwhile, football analyst Leonard Sharra said Sulom has shown inconsistencies in implementing the decrees which the EGM approved.

Sharra argued: “Sulom also amended its rules to increase delegates to the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) annual general meetings (AGMs) from three to eight. At the just ended FAM elections Sulom enforced that by sending eight officials,” he said. “It is therefore surprising that Sulom has chosen to implement some resolutions now and defer the others to next year.”

Sharra concurred with Pofera that Sulom was not supposed to discuss the proposal at the EGM if it was to be implemented next year.

“I believe that Sulom will hold an AGM before next season starts. That is where this issue was supposed to be discussed. Otherwise they have just raised the hopes of other teams unnecessarily,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sulom legal advisor Gilbert Mitawa said the decision to implement the resolution next year will pave the way for amendment of rules governing Super League.

“The rules regarding this season specify that three teams will be relegated. All teams knew this before the season started. To implement the resolution we need to amend these rules and that cannot be done in the middle of the season. It will be done at the start of next season,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mitawa said the matter of FAM AGM delegates was in the amended FAM statutes: “It was already approved by FAM what we needed to do was just to incorporate it in our rules. This is different from the issue of raising teams.”

Mitawa confirmed that Sulom’s next AGM will be held early next year.

Asked why they did not table the proposal of increasing the number at that meeting to avoid creating controversies, he responded: “The agenda for such meeting is set in consultation with our affiliates. So, that is what they decided.”

The legal advisor has meanwhile ruled out reinstating Dedza into the top flight league saying will be breaching rules set to govern the game. n