It’s over for Masters Security FC!
Former TNM Super League and 2018 Carlsberg Cup winners, Masters Security, have disbanded after gracing the country’s soccer stage for only four years.
Masters owner, Alfred Gangata, said the team had closed shop because sponsor Masters Group of Companies had decided to stop bankrolling the club.
Gangata said the company had decided to stop sponsoring sporting activities, leaving the club with no financial support.
“We have been meeting as a board on the future of Masters Security, especially after the club was relegated from the Super League. The board has finally made the resolution to stop channeling financial resources to the club,” he said.
Gangata said it was heartbreaking to see his club disbanding after representing the country on two occasions in the Caf Confederation Cup.
“We played in Africa when no one gave us a chance. We won the Carlsberg Cup when very few expected us to do so. We also produced some of the best players in the country and we are proud of that.
“We made our contribution to Malawi football and it is sad that our team cannot continue its impressive journey. This is quite painful because we enjoyed being part of Malawi’s football,” he said.
Central Region Football Association Chairperson Austin Ajawa expressed sadness with the news, saying they were expecting Masters to join the regional league after their relegation.
“We were expecting Masters to rejoin our league and fight for a return to the Super League. Masters were one of the most ambitious teams in the country and our football still needed them.
“But we cannot do much about this because they have already made their decision. We can only hope that they will return one day and we will welcome them with open arms,” Ajawa said.
Masters came onto the scene after buying Chipiku Central Region Football League Premier Division side Green Rangers in 2016.
The team later won the regional league’s championship to earn Super League promotion in the following year.
The Lilongwe-based side finished the 2018 season on fourth position but anchored the log table in last season’s contest.
Masters first played in the Caf Confederation Cup in 2017 where they were booted out 5-1 on aggregate in the preliminary round by Angolan side Petro de Luanda.
Their second outing was last year but they failed to leave an impact after Ugandan side Proline FC thrashed them 3-0 on aggregate.
The team’s relegation saw several players leaving to join other teams in the Super League.
Babatunde Adepoju, Francis Mkonda, Eric Atsigah and Vincent Nyangulu joined Be Forward Wanderers while Mphatso Dzongololo joined Silver Strikers.
Striker Juma Yatina also joined Wanderers recently whereas goalkeeper Chimwemwe Kumkwawa is now at Blue Eagles.
Two of Masters’ influential players, Maneno Nyoni and John Chalamanda, have signed for Ekwendeni Hammers as they hope to continue playing at top level.
