BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The Eastern Region Football Association (ERFA) has turned down a formal request by Nselema United FC to pull out of its ongoing Premier Division campaign, citing unsubstantiated claims made by the club.
In a letter addressed to ERFA, Nselema United FC, through club representative Mustafa Mack, accused the association of favoritism alleging that certain teams are being prioritized while others, like Nselema, are unfairly overlooked.
Citing this perceived bias, the club asked to withdraw from the league entirely.
However, ERFA has firmly rejected the request. In a written response signed by ERFA Vice General Secretary E.C. Nyirongo, the association stated that the reasons given by Nselema United FC were not convincing nor strong enough to justify their departure from the competition.
According to ERFA regulations, any team that withdraws from the league mid-season is liable to a fine of K3 million and faces suspension from participating in any football competition organized under the ERFA umbrella.
Reacting to the situation, sports analyst Ibrahim Phiri described Nselema United FC’s reasoning as highly unprofessional and lacking merit.
“This kind of behavior should not be tolerated. If a team quits under such weak pretenses, they should be banned from managing or participating in football activities across the country,” Phiri said.
As of now, Nselema United FC sits in 11th place on the ERFA Premier Division table with 5 points from 6 matches.
