Dedza Young Soccer are like that brave, if not naughty boy that, in a busy street, jumps and grabs a gentleman by the neck-tie in anger over a petty argument.
The boy gets fined by a court of law for the attack, but at the end of the day, it is still the man that suffers the most emotional and financial cost.
Dedza are like that boy with nothing to lose. Any punishment meted out to Dedza, might not be felt beyond Dedza hills.
However, Sulom and Fam will have questions to answer, bills to pay and a messed up football calendar to wipe clean.
Dedza, no doubt, breached football regulations by dragging their challenge against TNM Super League play-offs, to an ordinary court of law last Friday.
Clubs are affiliated to Sulom, whose mother body is Fam, which in turn, is answerable to the Confederation of African Football (Caf) and Federation of International Football Associations (Fifa).
Fam has direct affiliation to Caf and Fifa. Under this football organogram, there are judicial organs that hear out cases.
“Fam shall have jurisdiction on internal national disputes i.e. disputes between parties belonging to Fam. Fifa shall have jurisdiction on international disputes. Any disagreements shall be submitted to the jurisdiction of Fifa, Caf or Fam,” reads article 67 of Fam constitution.
In the event that Fifa fails to offer a solution, an aggrieved party can refer their grievances to the Court of Arbitration for Sports in Switzerland.
Bringing into the picture Dedza’s challenge against the play-offs, all this could have been avoided if Sulom and Fam’s judicial systems were faster and decisive.
On the contrary, Sulom only met last November during an extra-ordinary general meeting (EGM) to decide on bloating the league to 16 teams.
After the EGM, Sulom general secretary, Williams Banda, told the press that only two teams will be relegated during the 2015 season.
“The idea is to have an even n u m b e r of teams. This means that this season, two teams will be relegated and three will be promoted to make the number of 2016 TNM Super League teams to be at 16,” Banda was quoted by The Nation edition of November 15, 2016.
Banda eventually changed the tune that a decision was yet to be made, Dedza, having lost players and coach Millias Pofera, grew suspicious.
It took four months for Sulom to decide that bottom three teams from last season would compete in play-offs to produce the 16th team.
The decision came when the three bottom teams such as Wizards had sold players.
By that time, Dedza general secretary, Harold Mmora, claimed the EGM agreed on sparing a 13th placed team from relegation.
Dedza wrote Sulom over their position. Sulom dithered only two weeks ago, released fixtures for the play-offs while also dismissing the team’s case. Dedza sought Fam’s help.
“We are not happy with the answer we got from Sulom. We will not rest until the course of justice is upheld on the matter,” said Mmora, whose team got relegated after finishing on position 13 with 29 points.
To expose Sulom, some people leaked a letter which Banda wrote to his Fam counterpart, Suzgo Nyirenda, on February 25, 2016 seeking the nod to maintain the 13th team in the league.
“We write to inform [you] that following an executive meeting held on 19th February, 2016, Sulom executive agreed to have sixteen teams in 2016,” reads part of the letter signed by Banda.
“However, the meeting resolved to conduct play-offs which will impact the team to get prepared for the 2017 season, which is commencing on 9 April, 2016, and also considering the requirements of club licensing.”
With Fam burying its head in sand, Dedza took the matter to ordinary courts of law last Friday when the play-offs were in motion. The play-offs were soon stopped.
It is all about football judicial organs failing to discharge justice. And even if they do, such organs take ages to decide matters. Dedza could not wait any longer.
Now, the delayed play-offs cast doubt on the 2016 season kicking off on April 16. The league cannot start minus that mysterious 16th team.
That the challenge came from modest Dedza is enough vote of little confidence in the football authorities.
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