* Due to ongoing mourning period ahead of burial of late Vice-President Saulos Chilima
* We appreciate your understanding and cooperation during this difficult time
* However, to introduce midweek fixtures to catch up with the 2024 football calendar
By Duncan Mlanjira
Super League of Malawi (SULOM) announces that the planned release of the revised fixtures for the on-going TNM Super League 2024 that was to have been done today, June 14, has been postponed to June 18 due to ongoing mourning period.
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Soon after the announcement of the plane crash in Chikangawa forest that claimed the lives of Vice-President Saulos Chilima along with former First Lady Madame Patricia Shanil Dzimbiri and 7 others, President Lazarus Chakwera announced 21 days of mourning while Malawi National Council of Sports called for the cancellation of sporting activities.
And as burial ceremonies of the departed are in the process and conclude on Monday for Chilima’s in Ntcheu, SULOM thus postpones the revised fixtures till Tuesday.
In its press release, SULOM secretariat says the comprehensive review of the Super League 2024 fixtures, were done in consideration of concerns raised by clubs and thus the elite league governing body will introduce midweek fixtures to catch up with the 2024 football calendar.
“We appreciate your understanding and cooperation during this difficult time,” said the Secretariat in the press release.
The resolution for the comprehensive review of the TNM Super League 2024 fixtures was made when the executive committee met on June 7 included appointing Ronald Chiwaula as the new vice-president.
New vice-president Ronald Chiwaula
The position fell vacant after the earlier vice-president Colonel Gilbert Mittawa ascended to the position of president following Fleetwood Haiya being elected Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president.
The committee also reviewed and approved its sub-committees for 2024/25, that include fixtures committee with inclusion of IT experts and statisticians, among others; disciplinary; appeals; marketing & commercialisation; strategic planning & development; safety & security; constitutional review (ad-hoc); and finance & audit.
SULOM said names of the members of the sub-committees will be announced upon finalisation of appointment and engagement letters.
Mitawa had a discussion with FIFA president Gianni Infantino during his visit to Malawi this week
SULOM also announced the release of the first tranche of the TNM subvention funds to all the 16 teams in the Super League — with each team to get a total of K20 million towards subvention funds with half of that money from sponsors TNM while the other half is from FAM.
SULOM has disbursed K5 million to each club from the K10 million they are to receive from sponsors TNM with the second trance of the funds expected to be paid in the second round.
Recently the league governing body paid the teams K5 million each which is FAM subvention funds and in total the teams have received K10 million each.
TNM increased the sponsorship to K500 million for the 2024 season from K150 million last season and the subvention funds are expected “to significantly aid the clubs in enhancing the overall competitiveness of the league”.
The financial injection will empower the clubs to perform at their highest potential, providing thrilling and high-quality football for fans across the nation,” SULOM had said in its statement.
Meanwhile, prior to the tradegy that has befallen the country, the TNM Super League 2024 was already on a break following the FIFA international window to pave way for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ qualifiers in which Malawi hosted and beat São Tomé e Príncipe 3-1 at Bingu National Stadium before losing 0-1 to Equatorial Guinea in Malabo, on the day of the crash.
With 21 more games to play, Silver Strikers lead the TNM Super League 2024 with 25 points from eight wins and one draw — seven points ahead of second-placed Kamuzu Barracks (18 points); nine ahead of 3rd-placed Mzuzu City Hammers (16); 10 ahead of 4th-placed Mighty Wanderers (15) and 11 ahead of defending champions Nyasa Big Bullets (14).
Kamuzu Barracks’ Zeliat Nkhoma is leading the races for the Golden Boot with eight goals while Mzuzu City Hammers’ Isaac Msiska and Emmanuel Jnr Saviel of Civil Service United tie at seven apiece.
With five goals to his credit is Karonga United’s Saulos Moyo while those with four goals apiece are Silver Strikers duo of Adiel Kaduya and Binwell Katinji; Creck Sporting’s George Chiomba and Big Bullets Patrick Mwaungulu.
In the race for the Golden Glove, George Chikooka of Silver Strikers and Moyale FC’s Simeon Harawa are in the lead with five clean sheets in nine games each played so far.
Mighty Wanderers’s Richard Chipuwa has four while at three apiece are Mighty Tigers’ Lucky Tizola and Eddie Jamu of Mzuzu City Hammers.
Chokooka conceded two in the Flames’ 3-1 win over São Tomé at Bingu National Stadium and the 0-1 loss against Equatorial Guinea at Nuevo Estadio de Malabo — but he saved the team from conceding much more.
Chikooka kept them in the match and the goal he conceded was from a beautiful set piece by Coco Bassey in the 81st minute. Bassey had earlier taken another in the 66th and the shot went above the cross bar and for the next, just 15 minutes later, he pretended to shoot at goal but he just laid it perfectly in front of the packed box which was welcomed by a rushing Edu Salvador, who hit it hard beating Chikooka who had stretched as much as he could.
George Chikooka
Chikooka’s alertness started as early as the 3rd minute when Equatorial Guinea had their first attack of the match but the Silver Strikers goalkeeper cleared it away for a corner kick.
He was called again to save the situation four minutes later with another brilliant stop after Edu Salvador attacked just outside the 18-yard box.
In the 20th, Chikooka once again had to make another save as he easily caught Mba Obiang’s shot as the hosts proved tough to be plied open as they moved in masses to attack and to defend.
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