Mzuzu Stadium is an absolute disgrace and unplayable—Wanderers coach Harrison

State of the pitch captured yesterday during Wanderers’ training session

* Joins controversial Silver Strikers coach who described its state as not fit for his dog to play on in May

* This is worse now than it was earlier in the season. It’s absolutely shocking! I mean it’s not playable in any form

* I will say this a day before the game; if we win 5 nil or lose 5 nil, I will still say the same, this is not playable and should not be used in the Super League, it’s a shocker!

By Duncan Mlanjira

Ahead of their TNM Super League clash against Ekwendeni Hammers this afternoon at Mzuzu Stadium, Mighty Wanderers coach Mark Harrison has once again condemned the status of its pitch — saying it is “an absolute disgrace and unplayable”.

He joins controversial Silver Strikers Dutch coach, Pieter De Jongh, who courted wrath of the football fraternity when he described in May that Mzuzu Stadium pitch was in such a bad state that even his four-year-old dog would get injured playing on it.

The Briton spoke to Wanderers Media during training at the pitch, saying their match against the Hammers “is not going to be easy. We are here now training and this pitch is an absolute disgrace.

“I mean this is worse now than it was earlier in the season. It’s absolutely shocking! I mean it’s not playable in any form. I believe FAM was supposed to come and inspect this field two weeks ago.

“I will say this a day before the game; if we win 5 nil or lose 5 nil, I will still say the same, this is not playable and should not be used in the Super League, it’s a shocker!”

In May, after Silver Strikers’ game against the same Ekwendeni Hammers in which De Jongh was shown two yellow cards that translated into a red, the Dutch told the media in post match interview that the state of the Mzuzu Stadium pitch was “a big shame”, while taking a swipe at sports authorities that they “should be doing things in a professional manner”.

He emphasized that it is a shame that professional football in Malawi is being played on bad pitches, saying: “How is it possible that professional football is being played on this bad pitch where I am even sure that my that my four-year-old dog would get injured playing at it.”

While the public condemned the coach’s attitude as being undiplomatic just because he is a foreigner, several other local coaches and players continue to condemn the state of Mzuzu Stadium but the authorities seem not to take action on this.

Meanwhile, coach Harrison told Wanderers Media that while their talisman Christopher Kumwembe “is now injury free, he is obviously not match fit [as] he has been out of the team for five weeks since he came back from national games”.

“So he is not match fit by any means. He will be on the bench and whether he will get game time we don’t know, we will have to see how games come out. But we will have to build him slowly, we can’t just throw him in there for 90 minutes.

“Same with Francisco [Madinga], he is not match fit either. He came in and did us well the other day but he only came in at half time. He also needs to build his match fitness as well. We are still carrying injuries for Mphatso Kamanga and Adeleke Kolawole.”

The Nomads gaffer then urged Nomads fans to come in large numbers to offer support against Ekwendeni Hammers this afternoon and in Karonga on Saturday against Chitipa United.

“Both games will be played on unplayable pitches and we need their support so that we go back to Blantyre with six points,” he is quoted as saying.

Mighty Wanderers are 4th on the 2023 TNM Super League season’s log table with 29 points — five behind leaders Nyasa Big Bullets, who have 34 points.

The defending champions are two points ahead of Silver Strikers (second place) and Chitipa United (3rd), who share 32 points but are separated by goal difference.

If the Nomads win both against Ekwendeni and Chitipa with Silver Strikers losing or drawing with Bangwe All Stars on Sunday at Kamuzu Stadium, they can find themselves at the summit as they would amass 35 points.

The second round would be a tight campaign for Nyasa Big Bullets in their quest to defend their title TNM Super League for the 5th consecutive title as they will have their eyes over their shoulders against close contenders — Silver Strikers, Chitipa United and Mighty Wanderers.

Coming back to the issue of Mzuzu Stadium, Malawi National Council of Sports Board chairperson, Sunduzwayo Madise — at the end of the Mzuzu City Half Marathon in March — also lamented the poor state of the facility, also describing it as unfit for athletes.

And this was two months before Silver Strikers coach, Pieter De Jongh made the same observation in May. Madise had said there was need to improve the country’s sports facilities to boost performance of Malawi athletes.

He had said: “This stadium is in poor state. There is no running water in dressing rooms, even the grass that was planted on the playing field is not fit for football games. These factors cannot help our athletes perform well.”

He added that it was sad that facilities such as Mzuzu Stadium are not taken care of and he promised to engage Mzuzu City Council to renovate the 15,000 capacity sporting facility that was built in 1970.

Also present for the Half Marathon — the first for Mzuzu City — was Minister of Youth & Sports, Uchizi Mkandawire, who said the  government does not have resources to be used for repairing stadiums as at the moment, they are “looking into the construction of stadiums for Mighty Wanderers and Nyasa Bullets and Mzuzu Youth Centre”.

While Mzuzu City Council public relations officer, MacDonald Gondwe told MANA then that they had taken the concerns with a positive mind, saying they will look into the issues that have been highlighted to ensure that the stadium meets the recommended standards.

But it seems progress must be very slow as Nomads’ coach Harrison said the condition of Mzuzu Stadium pitch “is worse now than it was earlier in the season”.