SULOM executive member Chimwemwe Nyirenda organises Sapitwa 4 pre-season tourney
Four TNM Super League teams; Bangwe All Stars, Mighty Tigers (from Blantyre), Red Lions (from Zomba) and Dedza Dynamos (from Dedza), have been given the chance to prepare well ahead of the next top flight football season to contest in a tournament dubbed Sapitwa 4 pre-season.
The name derives from Mulanje Mountain’s Sapitwa Peak as the pre-season matches will be played at Mulanje Park Stadium during the Easter weekend of April 7-8.
A statement from the lead organiser, Super League of Malawi (SULOM) executive member, Chimwemwe Nyirenda says he has initiated this tournament as part of his promises to the clubs for him to be elected in his position for four more years.
“As we are all aware, most of the Clubs don’t prepare well, especially before the new season kicks-off,” Nyirenda said. “I made a promise that I will be assisting clubs to prepare well — hence the reason for organising these preseason matches.
“We deliberately decided to stage these matches just a week before the season kick-off so that these clubs’ coaches should have the opportunity to use their possible First XI players by trying out different combinations, among other tactics.
“The pre-season matches will have a unique format to encourage clubs to score more goals and supporters to enjoy penalty shootouts. We will have two double headers, two matches on Saturday and another two on Sunday.
Sapitwa 4 Rules are very interesting as they encourage teams to score more goals with a score draw earning 3 points and for a goalless draw earning 2 points.
“Fans loves penalties,” Nyirenda said. “So, to increase more excitement and uniqueness of this matches, each game will have penalty shoot-out and the winner of the penalty shoot-out will accumulate a bonus 1 point.
“Four points will be for a straight win; 3 points for a score draw and 2 points for a goalless draw.”
And as part of Cyclone Freddy response, in cognizance that the tropical storms that have been hitting Malawi so frequently is due to climate change and degradation of the environment, Nyirenda said the teams will also take part in planting trees on Mulanje Mountain to replace some which were washed away during the devastating flash floods.
“The tree planting activities with take place during same weekend,” he said. “The clubs officials, football administrators and general public will take part in this exercise.”
Meanwhile, Football Association of Malawi (FAM), announces that it has resolved to donate proceeds of the 2023 NBS Bank FAM Charity Shield match between FCB Nyasa Bullets and Mighty Mukuru Wanderers on April 9 to the Cyclone Freedy survivors.
A report on Fam.mw says football fratenity has not been spared from the disaster as its internal stakeholders have also been directly impacted by the natural disaster.
“Mhala Mpholia, a promising 15-year-old footballer of Genesis Academy — which plays in our Blantyre & District Mmera Mpoyamba Under-16 League — had his life prematurely terminated when his parents’ house was swept away in Manja township.
“McDonald Mtetemera, Flames former international and now Elite Coach and Enos Chatama, Malawi Under-17 assistant coach, have both lost their houses and properties due to the raging sweeping Cyclone Freddy waters in Blantyre.
“In addition to the three above, thousands of our football fans are mourning and in great pain and distress. Our beautiful game of football is nothing without supporters who are our biggest stakeholder and main source of revenue.”
Thus FAM resolving on diverting the revenue from the Charity Shield towards the survivors, saying as a good corporate citizen, they just had to play an active role in mobilizing resources — “to compliment efforts by the Malawi government in mitigating the suffering of the victims”.
“This year FAM and NBS Bank initially planned to target the education sector, after supporting the victims of Cylone Idai with Charity Shield donation in 2022.
“However, after appreciating the extent of damage and the urgent need to support the thousands of people who are in pain and suffering, FAM has been compelled to forgo those plans and help the Cyclone Freedy victims.”
FAM also commits to donate part of the proceeds from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match between Malawi and Egypt at the Bingu National Stadium on Tuesday, March 28 for the same cause.
“In addition, FAM will mobilize donations, financial and in kind, from the fans coming to watch these matches at Bingu National Stadium. Just like last year, FAM with NBS Bank will work with the Malawi Red Cross Society who will help channel the donations mobilized to the rightful beneficiaries.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those who are mourning and we pray for quick recovery to those who have been injured,” said the report.
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