….Football is entertainment. Violence is not.
That simple distinction appears increasingly important as disturbing incidents continue to raise questions about discipline, professionalism and the culture surrounding the FDH Bank Premiership.
Football naturally produces strong emotions. Supporters celebrate, players protest and coaches challenge decisions.
But passion should never become an excuse for violence, intimidation or misconduct.
The recent disciplinary action against FCB Nyasa Big Bullets provides a useful starting point. SULOM has fined the defending champions K3.35 million over misconduct during their July 19 match against Ekhaya FC.
The sanction demonstrates that disciplinary authorities are prepared to take action when clubs and their supporters cross the line.
But the bigger question is whether K3.35 million is enough to change behaviour.
SULOM has gone further by warning Bullets that a repeat of similar misconduct could result in the club losing maximum points.
For a team competing for honours, such a sporting sanction could prove far more damaging than a financial penalty.
This is where the debate should move beyond the size of the fine. If millions of kwacha in penalties do not change behaviour, then the football fraternity must examine whether the problem is financial or cultural.
The concern is not limited to Bullets. In July 2025, SULOM sanctioned Ekhaya FC and goalkeeper Elias Missi following an incident involving violent misconduct.
Missi was suspended for three league matches, while Ekhaya were also fined MK3 million.
The figures therefore tell an important story. K3 million in one disciplinary case and MK3.35 million in another represent substantial sums in Malawian football. Yet disciplinary problems continue to emerge.
That should force clubs and football authorities to ask a difficult question: Are we treating the symptoms while leaving the underlying problem untouched?
The Creck Sporting Club versus Ekhaya FC match provides another example.
Creck came from behind to win 3-2, but the excitement of the comeback was overshadowed by confrontation involving officials following dissatisfaction with refereeing decisions.
A referee can make a mistake. That is part of sport. What cannot become part of sport is responding to disagreement with physical confrontation.
The same principle applies to supporters. During the July 19 Ekhaya-Bullets match, protests over a refereeing decision disrupted the closing stages of the game. Such incidents demonstrate how quickly dissatisfaction can move from the pitch to the stands and threaten the integrity of the spectacle.
Then there is the issue of juju, another practice that deserves serious reflection in professional football.
The reports of players carrying charms or objects believed to provide supernatural assistance raise questions about the standards expected in the country’s top-flight competition.
This is not about ridiculing individual beliefs; it is about asking whether professional football should be built around preparation, discipline and sporting ability rather than superstition.
The FDH Bank Premiership is the highest level of domestic football in Malawi. Many of its players are potential national-team players.
The same individuals who are expected to demonstrate professionalism while representing Malawi should be held to the same standard when representing their clubs.
That is why Malawi football needs a mindset change.
SULOM must continue imposing strong and consistent sanctions where wrongdoing is established.
Officials who breach disciplinary rules should be punished.
Players should face appropriate consequences for misconduct, while supporters who engage in violence should also be held accountable.
However, punishment alone cannot solve the problem.
Clubs must take greater responsibility for educating their players, officials and supporters about discipline, respect for match officials and peaceful conduct.
The objective should not simply be to collect fines after every incident. The objective should be to reach a point where those fines are no longer necessary because the behaviour has changed.
Football authorities, clubs and supporters must therefore decide what kind of league they want to build.
A professional league cannot claim professionalism while violence, intimidation and disorder increasingly become part of the match-day experience.
We want passionate supporters. We want competitive matches.
We want refereeing decisions debated and analysed. We want players fighting for every ball.
But we should be fighting for football, not fighting because of football.
The FDH Bank Premiership has the opportunity to become a stronger, more professional product. That will require more than talented players and competitive matches.
It will require discipline, accountability and a collective understanding that three points are never worth sacrificing the safety and dignity of another human being.
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