The Football Association of Malawi (Fam) has established a football tribunal to resolve long-standing football-related disputes within domestic football.
The tribunal was approved during the association’s annual general meeting (AGM) held at Sunbird Nkopola in Mangochi two weeks ago.
Fam adopted the Fifa dispute resolution model, following the world governing body’s establishment of a similar football tribunal.
Among its functions, the tribunal will centralise dispute settlements under one umbrella, handling regulatory applications, players’ status issues and disputes involving agents or intermediaries.
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Fam General Secretary Alfred Gunda had not responded to our questionnaire by the time of press Wednesday.
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However, the association’s president, Fleetwood Haiya, described the tribunal’s establishment as a significant milestone.
“We are prepared to implement it after ratification at the AGM,” Haiya said immediately following the Mangochi meeting.
Deputy Chief Justice Lovemore Chikopa confirmed his appointment as chairperson of the Fam Football Tribunal but declined to comment further, saying he was in the early stage of his tenure.
Lawyer David Kanyenda, a Fifa Pro-Bono Counsel member, stressed Malawi’s previous disjointed dispute resolution systems in the absence of such a tribunal.
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He also stressed the need for a robust procedural framework to ensure its effectiveness.
“Appointing competent personnel to manage the tribunal and issue decisions will help shape our football law jurisprudence.
“Moreover, stakeholders such as players, clubs, coaches and administrators must be educated on how to access its services,” Kanyenda said.
The Fifa Football Tribunal comprises three chambers, namely the Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC), the Players’ Status Chamber (SPC) and the Agents Chamber (AC).
According to the Fifa website, the DRC adjudicates disputes with equal representation of players and clubs, covering contractual stability, training compensation and solidarity mechanisms among clubs.
