Ntopwa FC and Mzuzu Warriors have asked Super League of Malawi (Sulom) to consider keeping them in the top flight despite finishing in the bottom three of the 2020/21 TNM Super League season.
The two teams have already sealed their fate but they have pleaded with Sulom to allow them to continue playing in the league next season, citing Covid-19 pandemic as a reason why they have struggled this season.
Ntopwa FC owner Isaac Osman told the delegates at the just ended Sulom Annual General Meeting in Mangochi to spare the bottom three teams saying the break which the League undertook in January affected his team’s performance to the extent that players failed to recover.
Osman also challenged Sulom that lower leagues are currently playing tournaments which are not the required process to select teams that will play in the Super League.
But responding to Osman, President Tiya Somba Banda said Sulom’s constitution is clear on relegation.
“We cannot just change our constitution to suit other people’s interests. Our constitution would never allow us to do what these two teams are asking for. As per rules, three teams in the bottom three have to be relegated and that’s what is going to happen at the end of the ongoing season.
“If it’s about Covid-19, then all the 16 teams were affected so there is no way we can just single out the three bottom teams as the victims of the pandemic. If we are to allow them to remain in the league then we are setting a bad precedent which might haunt us in the future. In whatever we are doing, we must ensure that we are not raping our own constitution and I can assure you that three bottom teams will be officially relegated at the end of the season,” he explained.
Ntopwa FC and Mzuzu Warriors have been relegated after finishing in the bottom three and they will either be joined by Blue Eagles or Chitipa United who are currently fighting for their survival with less than three games to spare.
During the AGM, Osman had also proposed to Sulom to introduce play-offs for the three bottom teams against three regional teams who are on the verge of being promoted to the top flight teams but this was shut down by the gathering.
Chonde amvestseni a Osman. And apart from covid , all new teams are victims. One year or two is not enough too build a team. This is why we see new team coming and going g. Pls revisy your constitution.give new teams more time. 2 yrs yikuchepa. Mate akale satuluka wanna unless on financial grounds. We also. Need to school our referees. Al in all consider new teams regardless of theconstitution