Mighty Mukuru Wanderers president Thomson Mpinganjira has threatened to withdraw sponsorship should the team’s supporters misbehave again.
The warning comes barely a week after the supporters barred the team’s players from boarding the team’s bus after a 1-1 draw with Dedza Dynamos at Kamuzu Stadium.
About three weeks ago, the supporters forced team captain Stanley Sanudi to kneel before them and apologise following a 1-0 loss to Extreme FC at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.
But speaking ahead of Saturday’s Blantyre derby against bitter rivals FCB Nyasa Bullets at Kamuzu Stadium, Mpinganjira said he expects Wanderers’ supporters to accept whatever result of the match without causing problems.
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“Supporters must refrain from harassing players. If this happens again, I will immediately withdraw my sponsorship. I do not want to see supporters stopping any player from boarding the team bus. We must have extra security for our players and bus. We should even consider having armed police guarding our bus.
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“So this is my final warning. Should the supporters choose to misbehave by intimidating or ill-treating any of our players like they did at Bingu National and Kamuzu Stadium, I will withdraw my sponsorship. My name and the Ekhaya brand cannot continue to be associated with hooligans and violence,” Mpinganjira said.
The Nomads’ Chief Executive Officer Roosevelt Mpinganjira said they will treat any supporter indulging in such acts as a criminal.
“Wanderers cannot afford to continue being associated with violence. Hooliganism is anti-football and scares away sponsors just like what the president has said. He and the Ekhaya brand would not want to be associated with hooliganism.
“We will therefore, not condone any form of misbehavior as a club. We have made arrangements to report anyone misbehaving to police. We would want such people to be tried by the courts as hooligans or thieves,” Mpinganjira said.
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The team’s longest serving player Alfred Manyozo Jr, who was seriously harassed and intimidated by a section of the team’s supporters after the stalemate on Sunday, hailed Mpinganjira for boldly standing up against the supporters.
“I might not be part of the team to face Bullets as I am still nursing the shoulder injury I sustained during the impasse on Sunday after the game. Right now I cannot run and play the way I used to before of this injury. But I wish the team all the best and my spirit will be with all the players.
