Mlatho Mponela ownership case hearing next week

Central Region Football Association (CRFA) has said hearing of the Mlatho Mponela ownership wrangle will be held next week.

Mlatho directors wrote Football Association of Malawi on Monday seeking intervention after it was learnt that the club had been put on sale.

CRFA invited Mlatho Directors for a hearing before the matter was referred to the country’s football governing body.

The meeting, which was scheduled for Wednesday, was postponed after the directors excused themselves, saying they were committed.

CRFA vice General Secretary, Antonio Manda, said the meeting could not be held without the directors.

“We expect to have the meeting by end of next week. We want to hear the directors first before meeting the other party. Our aim was to resolve the issue as quickly as possible so that we move on with other activities,” Manda said.

In a letter to CRFA, Mlatho Director Steve Chapola requested that the meeting should take place next week.

“I thank you for the invitation which landed to us this day, the 21st April, 2020 requesting for a meeting on 22nd April 2020. This meeting follows the letter written by ourselves seeking redress on some issues. I regret to inform you that none of our Directors is available until Sunday, the 26th April to attend to any meeting.

“We are all out on office duties and we pray and request that the meeting be rescheduled to Monday next week or any other day after. Once again, we appreciate the urgency and direction you have taken to resolve the matter and we will be more than happy to support you in that direction,” the letter reads.

The wrangle surfaced after Gracias Chikoma, who claims ownership of the club, expressed intentions to sell the team’s place in the Chipiku Central Region Football League Premier Division due to financial constraints.

The Mponela-based side was relegated from the TNM Super League last season alongside Masters Security and Dwangwa United.