Football Association of Malawi (Fam) has taken a bold step towards resolving long-standing domestic football disputes as the National Disputes Resolution Chamber (NDRC) is in full operational.
The association passed the resolution to establish football tribunal during its Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at Sunbird Nkopola in 2024.
Speaking during the press briefing at Mpira Village, Chiwembe Township, Blantyre Wednesday, Fam President Fleetwood Haiya said the establishment of the tribunal is in line with Football Transformation Agenda to resolve football related disputes. “Fifa made the resolutions in 2024 that by 2025 all Member Associations should establish disputes chambers so we adopted the resolutions the same during our AGM in Mangochi. The same year, we appointed credible and independent panel,” Haiya said.
He said the establishment of the football tribunal marked the beginning of a new chapter in Malawi football. “We believe that the tribunal will improve the game and also address all the gaps,” he said.
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Deputy Chief Justice Lovemore Chikopa, who is the Chairperson of the football tribunal the committee would be independent and professional in discharging its duties. “The body will specifically deal with disputes between players and clubs. In addition, it will also handle disputes involving clubs’ in terms of ownership of players among others,” he said.
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Among its functions, the tribunal will centralise disputes settlements under one umbrella, handling regulatory applications, players’ status issues and disputes involving agents and intermediaries.
Fam adopted the Fifa dispute resolution model, following the world’s governing body establishment of a similar football tribunal. The Fifa football tribunal comprises three chambers namely the Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC), the Players’ Status Chamber (SPC) and Agents Chamber (AC).
Fifa website says that the DRC handles disputes with equal representation of players and clubs, covering contractual stability, training compensation and solidarity mechanisms among clubs.
