Some Super League clubs have accused the Super League of Malawi (Sulom) of being “too weak and slow” in addressing some of the challenges affecting teams.
The teams voiced out their concerns during the annual general meeting (AGM) held in Lilongwe on Saturday.
They claimed that the league governing body had been completely “captured” by Football Association of Malawi (Fam), such that it was no longer independent.
Among other issues, the clubs claimed that Sulom was failing to advance the interests of the clubs on a number of issues such as that of the Fifa+ television deal.
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Mzuzu City Hammers Chairperson Gift Mkandawire said Sulom’s leadership was weak.
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“Sulom is not in control and has no power. There are some cases where clubs are not reporting to Sulom. It is like clubs have two fathers. For example, Sulom is not in control of the Fifa+ and club licencing [issues],” Mkandawire said.
According to Mkandawire, if the situation does not improve, Sulom would die a natural death.
“At the current speed, Sulom would no longer exist in the near future. Surely, there might be calls that either Sulom should not exit or if they [Sulom officials] exit, they have to be in control,” Mkandawire said.
Currently, Sulom owns Super League rights whereas Fam owns rights for other domestic competitions.
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For two consecutive seasons, Super League clubs had been asking Fam to reveal details of the deal it signed with Fifa+ for live streaming of domestic matches.
But Fam had insisted that the project was in its pilot phase.
During the Sulom AGM, club representatives said both Sulom and Fam should come out clearly on the Fifa+ deal before the season starts on March 29.
FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Chief Executive Officer Albert Chigoga said the clubs had lost patience on issues related to the deal.
“Since we were told two years ago that Fifa+ is in a pilot phase in Malawi, there has been no feedback as well as revenue [spilling over] to the clubs.
“So, expect feedback on how we would move forward with the project when people are simply watching matches for free,” Chigoga said.
In his response, Sulom legal adviser Solomon Gomezgani Mchawi said the league’s governing body would take up the matter with Fam.
“We understand the clubs’ concerns. The issue of Fifa+ has been there for a long time. We need to address it as soon as possible,” he said.
The clubs feel that the system lacks transparency, especially on the issue of generated revenue.
Fam President Fleetwood Haiya promised to review the deal to ensure that the clubs maximise revenue.
When contacted, the association’s marketing manager Tulipo Mwenelupembe asked for ample time before he could comment on the matter.
Since 2022, Super League matches have been beamed on Fifa+ TV channel.
