Illovo Malawi’s sponsored football team in dire straits
By Peter Kanjere
Nchalo United, an Illovo Malawi sponsored football team, says its facing financial problems and may not be able to fulfill Saturday’s TNM Super League first-round match against Kamuzu Barracks at Civo Stadium in Lilongwe.
In the letter addressed to the league fixture’s secretariat, Nchalo General Secretary, Beston Malunga, said their participation in other league and cup games hinges on their financial health.
“This regrettable decision has been necessitated by the financial challenges [that] the [Executive] Committee is facing in running the daily affairs of the club,” Malunga said.
The club has no money and already deep in debt. Efforts have been made to try and sustain the running of the club, but the club is at a point where it cannot continue any more.
“There is no money for salaries, game bonuses, equipment and travel expenses,” Malunga wrote on July 9 2018.
“We were hoping to finish the league but the money [K27 million] we had is finished. This is the money we have spent from our time in the Premier Division to the Super League. We got some money as a starter-pack for the league and also for being Premier Division champions,” he said.
He said it would be unfair to dispatch the team to Lilongwe when there is no money to pay the players game bonuses. He said they hope that well-wishers can bail out the team.
Super league’s treasurer, Tiya Somba-Banda, yesterday acknowledged receipt of Nchalo’s letter.
Super League Association (Sulom) statutes state that if a team withdraws from the league before the end of the first-round results of all its matches are declared null and void, meaning that clubs that beat Nchalo can lose points.
“Should a team withdraw for whatever reason, during the second-round stage of the league then three points and two goals shall be awarded to those teams who had not yet played against that team. The result of the matches that were played against that team shall remain unchanged,” reads Article 14.
Nchalo are third from bottom of the 16-member log table and their pullout can throw the entire league into chaos. A few seasons ago, Max Bullets also withdrew from the league due to financial problems.
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