Simbi Phiri buys Mlatho Mponela slot
South Africa-based Malawian business tycoon Simbi Phiri has bought Mlatho Mponela’s slot in the Central Region Football League Premier Division at K800,000.
This means the tycoon’s Division One club, Simbi FC, will now compete for TNM Super League promotion from the regional league.
Simbi has since paid 10 per cent of the amount to Central Region Football Association for change of ownership and K250,000 registration fees.
CRFA General Secretary Bernard Chiwiruwiru Harawa and Simbi FC Technical Director, Kasteni Mwanza, confirmed the development in separate interviews.
Kasteni said they are excited with the development as they look forward to competing for Super League qualification.
“Our players are more than ready for action in the Premier Division. Everything is in place and all we are now just waiting for receipts and the player cards from league organisers. We have paid for change of ownership money and talks are underway with players that we want to sign. We will sign some from Mlatho Mponela and others will come from Blantyre to beef up our squad,” said Mwanza.
However, Harawa said processes to conclude the transaction were yet to be concluded with Mlatho Technologies, Mlatho Mponela’s sponsor, expected to deregister the club.
“We are told Mlatho Technologies surrendered the club to the Mponela community; but the company is still holding on to the club’s ownership by virtue of having registered it. This is a matter that needs to be sorted first,” he said.
Meanwhile, Gracious Chikoma, who also claims the club’s ownership and has been engaged in wrangles with Steve Chapola of Mlatho Technologies, said all he wanted was for the club to be in safe hands.
“I do not harbour any intentions to reap monetary gains from any transaction involving the club. I just want to ensure that it is in the hands of able sponsors who can make it better. My take is that we could have just handed the club over to Simbi. Such a move would be for the good of the game,” Chikoma said.
Football Association of Malawi recently ruled that Mlatho Mponela belonged to Chapola as he had valid registration documents.
Peter Fote is a Sports Journalist with huge experience in radio and Television reporting, production and presentation. He once worked with Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) and is currently working for Times Media Group.
