Let peace, harmony prevail after taking Carlsberg beer
Saturday, Carlsberg Cup reaches its crescendo at Kamuzu Stadium with Be Forward Wanderers hosting Silver Strikers in a potentially high flying fixture.
As these two Carlsberg finalists clash, the football fraternity anticipates that peace and harmony will prevail so that people of all ages and races should enjoy the game.
It is sad that there has been a series of violence in the Carlsberg Cup and yet the perpetrators know the repercussions of such unbecoming and rotten behaviour on our beautiful game.
Just to mention a few high profile incidents this season; Mafco and Nyasa Big Bullets players were involved in a fracas after the former invaded the pitch to stop Bullets players from training on the eve of the quarterfinal game at Chitowe Stadium.
Both teams were fined but Mafco were the worst culprits. However, Fam’s Appeals Committee did the unexpected by slashing the punishment.
In Balaka, there were also running battles between Prison United and Wanderers supporters until police intervened to control the situation.
As if that was not enough, this week Wanderers were also fined K650, 000 by Fam’s Disciplinary Committee for the fracas that ensued during their semifinal match against stubborn lightweights, Mangochi Police Football Club, at Kamuzu Stadium.
Wanderers were fined after being found guilty of three offences; bullying their opponents, failure to control their supporters and bringing the game of football into disrepute.
All these controversies that engulfed Carlsberg Cup smacks of irresponsibility, carelessness and disregard of decency.
Much as Fam blames the police for failing to provide enough security, the onus should be on the stakeholders to make sure that they are disciplined enough and control their temper after taking a dose of Carlsberg beer.
Malawi is not a police state, whereby everything we do should be controlled by the police.
We all know that football is about entertainment and one team is supposed to win or lose. In any civilized world, losing becomes part of the game.
It is, therefore, important that today’s Carlsberg Cup final between Wanderers and Silver should be treated with the dignity it deserves for the sake of Malawi football.
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