Blantyre giants Mighty Mukuru Wanderers and FCB Nyasa Big Bullets have acted differently to the stance in which Super League of Malawi (Sulom) has taken over fixtures concerning the two sides.
Sulom Vice General Secretary Donnex Chilonga said they have resolved that Bullets and Wanderers should not be playing on the same day to maximise the collection of broadcasting rights revenue.
“We classified the teams to ensure that we get the best. We noted that both Bullets and Wanderers attract a lot of broadcasters. As such, they split the media because it is the same commentators or media houses that have to be at those venues,” Chilonga said.
He made the remarks after Sulom shifted games involving the two sides.
Initially, Wanderers were supposed to face Creck Sporting Club at Kamuzu Stadium on Sunday but the match has been brought forward to Saturday while Bullets were expected to face Chitipa United on Saturday at Karonga Stadium but the match has been pushed back to Sunday.
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Chilonga justified the change, saying the fixtures were the same as they target to generate a lot of money through broadcasting rights.
“If you check properly, the games have not really been changed. All games scheduled for week three are intact. What has changed is simple realignment. In terms of maximising revenue, it is revenue from broadcasting rights and not gate takings,” he said.
However, Wanderers Chief Executive Officer Panganeni Ndovi asked for consistency in maintaining fixtures to avoid disturbing plans of the teams.
“As much as Sulom is stating that, there is a need to be consistent with how football matters are being handled. During fixturing, Sulom should have taken that into consideration as this is very inconveniencing in our planning for games. We cannot continue to have fixtures changing willy-nilly. It affects a whole lot of things,” Ndovi said.
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On the other hand, Bullets Chief Administration Officer Albert Chigoga welcomed the idea but said they are waiting for official communication.
“It is a good idea though we have not been informed by Sulom regarding the drivers of this change. Remember, football is both technical and commercial. There is always a need to ensure that there is synergy between the two variables,” Chigoga said.
