sulom moves to review award
Super League of Malawi (Sulom) has admitted flaws in the man-of-the-match selection process, saying the system is under review.
The flagship football league body’s vice-president Ronald Chiwaula said in an interview yesterday that the move follows complaints from some stakeholders.
At the start of the season, sponsors of the top-flight league, TNM plc, introduced a K100 000 prize for man-of-the-match, translating to an additional K24 million sponsorship to cover all the 240 matches.
Said Chiwaula: “We will be setting up a special committee for the task after noting some flaws in the selection criteria.

gestures after being presented with the
man-of-the-match award in a recent match
against Chitipa United. | Courtesy of Bullets
“We were also getting complaints on the same from some quarters and it is only proper that we bring sanity to the process.”
He also said while they have come up with guidelines on the selection process, Sulom will be open to advice and input on how the system can be improved further.
As a first step, Sulom has come up with guidelines to standardise the process for selecting and presenting the man-of-the-match awards to ensure fairness, credibility and alignment with international best practices.
It further says a minimum of three panellists, comprising an accredited sports journalist or commentator, former player or coach and a technical representative from either Sulom or the Football Association of Malawi, shall be appointed for each match.
It also states that panellists must declare any potential conflict of interest before participating in the process.
Read the guidelines: “Panellists will assess players based on the following performance indicators: Impact on the game [goals, assists, key saves or defensive interventions], work rate and consistency, leadership and sportsmanship on the field and adherence to the rules of the game [players who receive red cards are automatically disqualified].”
Football analyst Charles Nyirenda welcomed the move, saying: “In case of a query, the answer can be provided through criteria.
“But it is a bit surprising that we should be discussing man-of-the-match selection criteria today because one would ask all along, what was being used?”
In a separate interview, FCB Nyasa Bullets acting chief executive officer Albert Chigoga also described it as a positive move.
“Any system that is susceptible to public discontent needs to phase out for a better one. We are hoping that the new system has proper standards that promote sporting integrity.”