Surestream Academy queries Kamuzu Stadium use

A heated row has erupted between Surestream Academy and Kamuzu Stadium authorities over the use of Kamuzu Stadium, leading to the intervention by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Surestream academy management is accusing Kamuzu Stadium authorities of allocating them insufficient time, preferring to hire out the facility for social games.

Kamuzu Stadium manager Charles Mhango on Wednesday dismissed the claims, saying it is the academy management that is at fault as it does not meet the conditions for use of the facility such as contributing towards maintenance and water bills.

The academy’s technical director Peter Mponda and league manager Patricio Kulemeka expressed dismay that while there is a formal agreement with government and FAM over the use of Kamuzu Stadium for academy games, the authorities prefer hiring it out for social games.

Said Mponda: “The thing is that there is an agreement to be using the facility for games because in the long run it will benefit Malawi football. But we are allocated insufficient time.”

Mhango, who admitted hiring out the facility for maintenance purposes, blamed Surestream of not abiding to the conditions set by the stadium authorities.

“The problem is that they are not abiding to the conditions that include contributing money towards the maintenance of the facility,” said Mhango.

But Principal Secretary II in the Ministry of Youth and Sports Justin Saidi faulted stadium management on the row.

“To begin with, the ground is not supposed to be hired out for social games. There are no such provisions. We need to investigate as to why that is happening because it is unprocedural.