Super League of Malawi has disclosed that it is taking measures to mitigate the impact of matches’ congestion for the remainder of the 2023 TNM Super League season.
The association’s vice president colonel Gilbert Mittawa said, among other things, Sulom has introduced mid-week matches, especially for teams that have played fewer matches than others.
Mittawa said the congestion of matches arose due to various factors including the closure of several stadia to undergo renovations and unplanned national team camping.
“Firstly, several stadia were closed for maintenance and failure to meet licencing infrastructure requirements. This forced Sulom to reschedule some matches against the provisional season fixture that had been released at the beginning of the season.
“Secondly, the league has also been affected by unplanned national team engagements and prolonged camping. As you are aware, the Flames went for unplanned camping in Saudi Arabia. The 2023 Cosafa Cup was scheduled for May 2023 but was later changed to be played in June/July. This forced Sulom to reschedule some league matches to accommodate national team engagements,” Mittawa said.
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He also pointed at the introduction of the Castel Cup, which was not on the calendar when the season commenced, and FCB Nyasa Big Bullets’ participation in the Caf Champions League.
“We (Sulom) understand the negative impact of fixture congestion on clubs, players and the league as a whole. Fixture congestion undermines efforts to professionalise the game but, most importantly, affects the welfare of players due to the risk of fatigue, burn-out and undesirable injuries,” Mittawa said.
Bullets are leading the table on goal difference despite tying with rivals Mighty Mukuru Wanderers at 53 points each.
However, Bullets have played 24 games, three less than Wanderers.
