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Silver Strikers cry foul over fixtures

Silver Strikers cry foul over fixtures

TNM Super League leaders Silver Strikers have expressed disappointment with how Super League of Malawi (Sulom) has revised the fixtures.

This comes at the time the TNM Super League title race has reached boiling point.

The Central Bankers, who are looking for their first title in 11 years, have lodged a complaint with Sulom arguing that the revised fixtures reflect significant imbalances in the number of home and away games allocated to various teams.

“We are writing to express our dissatisfaction with the revised fixture list released September 16, 2024. After a thorough review, it has become evident that the latest schedule presents several issues that may compromise the fairness of the competition,’’ reads the letter signed by Silver Chief Executive Officer Patrick Chimimba.

Apart from “fixture imbalance”, Chimimba said there is notable fixture congestion from October 27 to November 10 which could be risky to the players.

“A review of the fixture list reveals that other title contenders have been afforded a minimum of one more day off compared to Silver.

“We believe that these discrepancies undermine the principles of fair play and equitable treatment that are fundamental to the integrity of the league,” Chimimba said.

According to Chimimba, second-placed Mighty Mukuru Wanderers are scheduled to play four out of five games at home from September 21 to October 26.

He said in comparison, Silver will have three out of five games at home during the same period while FCB Nyasa Big Bullets will play two out of four at home.

“Further compounding these concerns, from September 29 to October 30, Bullets is scheduled to play six consecutive away games before playing four of their last five games at home. In contrast, Silver have not benefited from similar stretch of consecutive home games and has faced a less favourable scheduling arrangement,’’ he said.

However, Sulom Chief Executive Officer Faith Mzungu-Vilakati refused to comment on the matter.

On his part, Bullets Chief Executive Officer Albert Chigoga said they did not lodge a complaint on the revised fixture.

“It is pointless for us to engage the regulator on unending fixture wrangles. We will proceed as it is,” Chigoga said.

Wanderers Chief Executive Officer Panganeni Ndovi asked for more time to comment on the issue.

Meanwhile, Silver will host third placed Kamuzu Barracks at Silver Stadium tomorrow. They are top of the table with 45 points from 19 matches, seven points above Wanderers.