Sulom to organise seminar for clubs

Sulom, in readiness for the second round, plans to hold a seminar for Super League club coaches to acquaint them with rules of the game.

Super League of Malawi (Sulom) president Innocent Bottomani said they have noted that it has been long since club coaches had refresher courses.

He said the training will be one of the major issues to be discussed at the Sulom annual general meeting (AGM) before the end of this month.

“We need to update local coaches on refereeing rules so that they are conversant with current laws of the game. In some cases, it has been for lack of knowledge that coaches have wrongly accused referees. It is important that we all move at the same level,” he said.

Bottomani noted that sometimes supporters are influenced by coaches to take a hostile attitude against referees.

“The first round has been a huge success, but the only shadow has been complaints on referees and recently, the violence in Mzuzu.

“If officials are conversant with new football rules, it is easy for them to understand decisions made by match officials. Rules of the game are changing everyday and as a country we need to move with the times,” said Bottomani.

While Sulom is targeting club officials, FAM is targeting referees. Four referees are expected to leave for Tanzania this week for a CAF instructor’s course in Dar es Salaam.

National Referees Committee (NRC) members Patrick Kapanga, Martha Nyekanyeka, MacGovern Mpeni and Moffati Champiti are the officials to undergo the refresher course.

FAM referees subcommittee chairperson James Mwenda said they are committed to improving football officiation in the country.

“It is a timely course as laws of the game are changing everyday. After the course, the four will be able to impart knowledge to other local referees. This will help improve standard of officiation in the country. I urge the participants to take the course seriously,” said Mwenda.

He also said FAM will be sending referees instructors to Super League clubs training session to foster good relations between clubs and referees and also update club officials on current rules of the game.