Moyale Barracks FC, the only consistent military side, in 2012 defied all odds to reach the finals of the prestigious presidential cup but it was Big Bullets that smiled at the end of everything after beating the soldiers 1-0. Some weeks ago, the Kaning’ina Lions ditched out the best to clinch maiden presidential cup victory only to be frustrated in the injury time by the same opponent and finally conceding a defeat in post-match penalties. Speaking after the painful defeat Moyale’s mentor and some officials indicated that they were just unlucky, and still hoped that next time the cup will go to the evergreen city of Mzuzu owing to their superb performance in the tournament.
However, the Mzuzu based soldiers’ dream has been dealt with a big blow as the Football Association of Malawi (Fam) has proposed to government, the exclusion of Super League teams from the K60 million Presidential Cup so as to turn it into a development competition for Under-17 clubs.
Fam General Secretary, Suzgo Nyirenda, confirmed that the association’s Executive Committee meeting, held over the weekend, resolved to write to the Malawi National Council of Sports over the proposal for only regional and district teams in the cup.
“We want that it should become a developmental cup. We wrote to the Council and we are waiting for their feedback. There are negotiations with the private sector to replace the Presidential Cup with an elite competition for Super League teams,” Nyirenda explained.
Bullets acting-General Secretary, Kelvin Moyo, welcomed yesterday the suggestion for the composition of the cup, saying it was losing its competitiveness. National champions were pocketing K10 million.
“I support that proposal. It was no longer becoming competitive for Super League teams and it was being played over a long period of time, which was costly,” Moyo said yesterday.
The Sports Council’s Administration Manager, Henry Mereka, said told Daily Times that “Fam wants the competition to concentrate on football development, which is actually in line the initial concept of the competition—to unearth talent.”
A brainchild of former president late Bingu wa Mutharika, the competition, which was established in 2008, was not held in 2014 and 2015 as government diverted funding to Malawi National Football team activities.
If the government supports the proposal, Moyale Barracks will have themselves to blame for not clinching the cup even once after reaching finals twice while Nyasa Big Bullets will have something to write as the last champions of the cup.
LIST OF WINNERS OF PRESIDENTIAL CUP
2OO9 MTL Wanderers (now Mighty Be Forward Wanderers 2-1 Escom United (penalties)
2010 Civo United 1-0 Silver Strikers
2011 Mighty Wanderers 1-0 MAFCO
2012 Big Bullets 1-0 Moyale Barracks
2013 MAFCO 9-8 Silver Strikers (penalties)
2014/2015 not held
2016 Nyasa Big Bullets 1-1 Moyale Barracks (4-3 penalties)