Super League of Malawi (Sulom) says it has commenced match fixing investigations against Mighty Mukuru Wanderers and Silver Strikers over a joint request made by the two teams to have their Thursday game shifted to a later date.
As per Sulom fixture released on Sunday, the two teams, which opted not to continue playing TNM Super League games after they contributed four players to the Malawi National Football Team at the just ended Cosafa Cup in South Africa, are facing each other on Thursday at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre.
This did not go well with the two giants and they wrote a joint letter to Sulom, asking the body to shift the game to next month because their players who participated in Cosafa and returned to Malawi are tired and also the teams have congested fixtures.
Wanderers’ acting Chief Executive Officer Roosevelt Mpinganjira signed the document on behalf of the club whilst Gift Mwale Gunde represented the Central Bankers.
In response, Sulom turned down the request and warned the two teams that they would be investigated for discussing the match without the knowledge of the body.
“Kindly note that it is illegal for teams in any competition to conspire and discuss a league match without the knowledge of Sulom. Such conduct has raised suspicious of match fixing. In this regard, Sulom has commenced match fixing investigations and appropriate remedial actions shall be taken against any team or official who shall be found on the wrong side of the law,” reads the statement from Sulom, signed by General Secretary, Williams Banda.
The body further said that the match will go ahead as planned, and failure to honor the fixture shall result in forfeiture of points.
“We, therefore, regret to inform you that the request did not meet the requirements of Article 19.4 as read 19.12 of the Super League Rules and Regulations. Respectively, the match will proceed as scheduled on 20 July 2023, and failure to fulfill the fixture shall lead to forfeiture of points as per Sulom Rules and Regulations,” concluded the statement.
After Thursday’s match, Wanderers will welcome Blue Eagles at their venue on Sunday whilst Silver will travel to the North to play Moyale Barracks in the Round 16 of FDH Bank Cup before returning to Lilongwe for another mid-week fixture against Extreme FC on Wednesday.
