Malawi’s Wanderers supporters in road accident on victory parade
More than 20 Mighty ‘Nyerere’ Wanderers FC survived road accident in Balaka District on Sunday as they paraded their newly won K25 million Standard Bank Knock-Out Cup.
The victims were part of scores of Wanderers’ followers who were escorting their team as they displayed the coveted trophy which they defended Saturday after beating Capital City giants, Silver Strikers, at their own backyard.
The Nomads became the first team to defend the cup after they successfully carried the day through an own goal scored by Silver’s midfielder Blessings Tembo barely three minutes into the game.
According to Wanderers’ Supporters General Secretary for Balaka District, William Kadewere, the accident happened after one side of the body of the lorry they were using opened.
He said 19 supporters fell off the vehicle as it was still in motion sustaining various injuries.
Kadewere, however, disclosed only one person, 13-year-old Pemphero Nkhoma, was seriously injured and was receiving treatment at Balaka District Hospital. The rest of the survivors were treated as out-patients.
The team started its carnival at Bunda Turn-off in Lilongwe on their way to their base in Blantyre and stopped in all major trading centres along the M1 Road to thank their followers for their continued support.
Standard Bank hiked the cup’s sponsorship money from K20 million to K25 million this year with the winner banging K8 million.
During last year’s finals, Wanderers also beat Silver 2-0 at the same venue, Silver Stadium.
In this year’s competition, eight Super League teams which finished in the top six of the TNM Super League last season qualified automatically and these were Silver, Wanderers, Blantyre United, Big Bullets, Red Lions and Civo United.
Four other teams were voted into the competition by their fans at any Standard Bank branch across the country to qualify.
While Wanderers got K8 million, which was K1 million more than what they received after winning it last season, the runners up got K4 million while the semifinalists would receive K500,000. Quarterfinalists received K250,000.
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