Fifteen Super League clubs are this week expected to discover their respective fates as regards Club Licencing (CL), as the Appeals Body of the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) met on Wednesday to scrutinise their cases.
On March 14, the First Instance Body (FIB) announced that only Dwangwa United had passed the test to earn a licence ahead of the 2018 season starting next month.
While some clubs almost fulfilled the requirements with others failing by a distance, four of them namely Nyasa Big Bullets, Civil Sporting Club, Kamuzu Barracks and Karonga United did not submit any document at all getting 0% in the test.
But all the 15 were given a second chance to appeal by 23rd March.
Having done so, the Appeals Body on Wednesday met to assess the submitted documents if they contained all the required information.
FAM’s Club Licencing Manager Casper Jangale confirmed that the meeting indeed took place.
With the results expected out later in the week, some of the clubs involved have expressed optimism that they will make the grade.
Civil general secretary Ronald Chiwaula wondered how his club was found in the category of not submitting the documents, but sounded upbeat about getting the licence at the second attempt.
“We still don’t understand why FAM claimed not to have received our submissions, because we did everything in good time but maybe there was some communication breakdown between FAM and us. However we re-submitted and believe this time around all will be well,” said Chiwaula.
“After all we qualified last year using the same documents so we are very sure of getting a licence,” he said.
Silver Strikers general secretary Thabo Nyirenda is also confident that his club which got 64%, will this time around get the licence.
“We believe the Appeals Body will look into our case with sober minds and overturn the FIB ruling. We were faulted on having unqualified coaches, no stadium and lack of unaudited accounts which is laughable because we have all the above in place. So we believe our appeal will pass the test,” said Nyirenda.
In his response, Bullets Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Fleetwood Haiya confirmed submitting the required information to the Appeals Committee.
“We failed to hand in our documents in the first place because we had not finalised some necessary paperwork like audited accounts. But all that was prepared and delivered, which gives us the confidence of getting a licence,” said Haiya.
FAM has again sent out a stern warning that all clubs that fail to obtain a licence will be barred from elite football in the upcoming season.
