Football Association of Malawi (FAM) says all Reserve teams will no longer be allowed to take part in national cups competition as one way of preserving the integrity of the game.
The decision was made by the FAM Executive Committee meeting that took place in Salima on Saturday.
According to Malawi’s two daily papers, the country’s soccer governing body will only be allowing the Reserve teams to take part in regional playoffs to expose the talent, but they will not be included in the national draw.
“It is about preserving the integrity of the competition. We want to ensure that teams that fall under one ownership are not playing in the same competition, just like Club Licensing prohibits reserve teams from getting promoted to the Super League.
“They can play in the regional play-offs for exposure and development, but they will not qualify for the national draw,” said FAM Communications and Competitions Director, who was quoted by Times Sport.
The same paper quoted FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Chief Administrative Officer Albert Chigoga, who said it was surprising to see the reserve teams taking part in national competitions yet they are not allowed to proceed to join the Super League when they emerge champions in their respective regions.
“We have always been questioning the rationale of allowing such a thing to happen over the years. A team wins a regional championship and is not allowed promotion to the elite league on account that its senior team is in the same competition, yet the same team is allowed to participate in national competitions. The decision lacked consistency, and it is our hope that it will restore integrity to the game,” he said.
Last season, Bullets Reserves knocked out three Super League teams, namely Mighty Tigers, Red Lions, and Blue Eagles to reach the semifinals of the FDH Bank Cup where they set up a final showdown with their senior team after they knocked out Extreme FC in the semis.
This attracted mixed reactions from the masses, with the majority of people suggesting that reserve teams shouldn’t have been allowed to take part in the national competitions.
Follow us on Twitter:
