FAM finds Mighty Wanderers guilty in Airtel Top 8 game fracas

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) Competitions Committee has found guilty Mighty Mukuru Wanderers FC in the 2023 Airtel top 8 Quarterfinal first leg Match against Silver Strikers FC which was abandoned on Saturday, September 23, 2023, at the Bingu National Stadium (BNS) in Lilongwe.

Below are FAM determination as follows:

1. Award the match to Silver Strikers FC who won by a margin of two goals to Zero (2-0) after finding Mighty Mukuru Wanderers FC guilty of causing the abandonment of the match following their players’ refusal to continue with play in protest of the referee’s decision contrary to article 10.3 of the 2023 Airtel Top 8 Rules and Regulations.

2. Impose upon Mighty Mukuru Wanderers FC a financial sanction of Five Hundred Thousand Kwacha (K500,000.00) for being found guilty of failure to take the necessary precautions to prevent their supporters from displaying unsporting behaviors by throwing objects into the field of play and damaging stadium seats. The Committee has also ordered Mighty Mukuru Wanderers Football Club to pay for the costs associated with the repair and restoration of any damaged facilities at Bingu National Stadium which stands at K22,083,400.00 (Twenty-Two million and Eighty- Three Thousand Six Hundred Kwacha) as per the preliminary assessment by BNS Authorities.

3. Impose upon Mighty Mukuru Wanderers FC a financial sanction of Two Million Kwacha (K2,000,000) for being found guilty of bringing the game of football, FAM, and the name of the sponsor into disrepute.
4. Refer the matter on the decision by Referee Godfrey Nkhakananga to the FAM Referees’ Committee for review and necessary measures on the referee as the Committee is of the view that the Referee, may have made an error in the interpretation of the Laws of the Game by giving an advantage to Silver Strikers after he had blown the whistle for an infringement.

5. Found Mighty Mukuru Wanderers protest inadmissible because according to Article 13.5 of the Airtel Top 8 Rules and Regulations the decision taken by the Match Referee during any match relating to interpretation of the Laws of the Game is not subject to protest.

Wanderers officials are yet to comment on the matter.

Lloyd M’bwana

I’m a Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resource (LUANAR)’s Environmental Science graduate (Malawi) and UK’s ICM Journalism and Media studies scholar. Also University of Malawi (UNIMA) Library Science Scholar. I have been The Malawi Country Manager and duty editor for the Maravi Post since 2019. My duty editor’s job is to ensure that the news is covered properly, that it is delivered on time, and that it is created to the standards set out in the editorial guidelines of the Maravi Post.