Nomads hit back
Be Forward Wanderers have hit at Football Association of Malawi (Fam) for slapping the Nomads with a K300,000 fine over the violence which flared on Saturday during a Carlsberg Cup quarterfinal match against Prison United at Balaka Stadium.
Wanderers General Secretary, Mike Butao, on Thursday faulted Fam for failing to appreciate the role the Nomads allegedly played in quelling the violence. The match was stopped for 15 minutes as fans fought in the terraces.
“I called Casper Jangale and told him that Prison United supporters were behind our bench and we needed to swap benches but he just said he had noted my observation. Instead of providing a solution, he was actually busy taking pictures in anticipation of the violence,” Butao explained.
“However, we will not challenge the fine. Nobody wins against Fam and Sulom [Super League of Malawi]. I am saying nobody wins because nobody has ever won against them. They are fining us for actually helping them.”
The GS, who earlier claimed that there was no pre-match meeting, further blamed Fam for contacting Wanderers’ Supporters Committee wing for Balaka without informing the Nomads’ Executive Committee.
Fam also fined Prison United K150,000 for the violence. Wanderers won the match 1-0 to date Mangochi Police in the semifinals.
However, Jangale, who was the match’s coordinator alongside Raphael Humba, yesterday wondered as to why Wanderers did not complaint when they were represented by the supporters during the counting of the gate collections.
“Why did they also not send an executive committee member when we were counting the money?,” he querried.
Humba also accused Wanderers of double standards on the role of the supporters.
“Wanderers’ Supporters’ Secretary for Balaka [Kadewere] assured us during the pre-match meeting that he was representing Wanderers and that he would relay to the executive whatever was discussed. If Wanderers want to disown their supporters’ committee for Balaka, then that is their problem,” Humba explained.
Butao did not pick mobile phone calls when The Daily Times sought further clarification as to why they had no issues with the fans’ involvement in the gate proceeds.
Sulom General Secretary, Williams Banda, yesterday advised Wanderers that the best way to avoid sanctions is to adhere to the rules and regulations.
Another quarterfinal between Mafco and Nyasa Big Bullets was also shifted from last Saturday to tomorrow after players from both camps fought at Chitowe Ground on the eve of the game. Some of the two teams’ players have since been fined and suspended.
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