Mighty Wanderers and Nyasa Big Bullets have been fined K1.6 million and K500,000, respectively, for the violence and unsporting behaviour that caused the abandonment of their match at Kamuzu Stadium on 1st May 2021.
Wanderers right back Stanley Sanudi has also been slapped with a two-match ban for confronting Assistant Referee Bernadette Kwimbira Nzika for declining to give Wanderers a corner-kick.
Wanderers were charged with failure to control the actions of its supporters who threw stones, bottles, and other objects onto the pitch and while Bullets failed to control a supporter, who invaded and tampered with Wanderer’s goal posts thereby putting the game of football into disrepute contrary to article 21 of the SULOM Rules and Regulations.
In its determination, the Super League of Malawi Disciplinary Committee says Wanderers failed to control actions of their supporter’s contrary to Art. 21.9 of the SULOM Rules and Regulations; and directly interrupted or disturbed the normal proceedings of a game contrary to article 21.2(3) of the SULOM Rules and Regulations.
“Considering the circumstances of the case, where the team did not put effort to quail the conduct of the supporters and players, considering that Be Forward Wanderers also committed similar offence in 2019, and the quest to deter the team and other teams from committing similar offence in future, the Committee opined that a fine of K1,500,000.00 befits the offence in question and hereby imposes the same on Be Forward Wanderers,” reads part of the determination.
For disrupting the match, Wanderers have fined K102,000, bringing the total fine to K1.602,000, which will have to be paid within 30 days.
“In the case of Nyasa Big Bullets, the offence of invading the pitch attracts a fine of K500,000.00. The Committee considered the circumstances of the offence that Big Bullets did not show any effort to prevent or mitigate the commission of the offence, The Committee is of the considered view that a fine of MK500,000,00 adequately addresses the mischief,” rules the Committee.
The Disciplinary Committee has ordered the National Referees Committee (NRC) to discipline the referees that handled the match for mismanaging the match.
“It was observed that there was mismanagement of the game by the officiating personnel. These include the continuation of the game while coincidentally disciplining the players. According to the rules, the game was supposed to be stopped at that juncture. The failure by the referee to stop the game was not only a breach of the Laws of the game but has also infuriated Be Forward Wanderers as Nyasa Big Bullets almost scored a goal,” states the
