Sulom elections expose cracks in Masters Security FC
Super League of Malawi (Sulom) polls slated for March 2 have exposed leadership cracks in the Masters Security Football Club.
Recently, Masters Security FC officials have been caught giving contradictory remarks in the media ranging from club management, players contracts and the team’s managing director and owner Alfred Gangata accusing other officials of sabotage.
A source close to the team told Nyasa Times that it all started when duo of former General Secretary Zachariah Nyirenda and Team Manager Muhammad Selemani expressed their interest to contest at the forth coming Sulom polls.
“This was after Gangata banned Nyirenda from speaking to the media saying he was mostly painting a bad picture for the team every time he publicly acknowledged the team’s financial struggle in the just ended Super League season,” said the source.
Our source further revealed that the relationship between the two was worsened when Masters Security FC midfielder Babatunde Adeboye joined former TNM Super League champions Be Forward Wanderers on a three-year deal
While Gangata argued Adeboye was still contracted to them and could not let Wanderers use the player in the 2019 season until certain issues are sorted out, Nyirenda said that the player was a free agent because his contract expired in December 2018.
“Wanderers have been taking me for a fool for a long time and I cannot let them take my player. Recently, Joseph Kamwendo returned to Wanderers despite getting our money after signing a three-year contract and the same happened with Rafiq Mussa. So, I cannot let Babatunde join Wanderers,” Gangata told the local media
However, Nyirenda told The Nation Newspaper that the player can join any team as a free agent.
“Unless otherwise, my records show Babatunde’s contract expired in December. [Therefore], rules governing free players ought to apply,” he said.
This, according to the source, was the moment that brought down the tight relationship that was there within Masters Security team management.
“During one of the executive meetings in December, Gangata openly accused Nyirenda of frustrating him and making some decisions behind his back. He even accused both Nyirenda and Selemani of trying to take over the team and use it as a campaigning tool,” he said.
The source further disclosed that Gangata demanded that he be nominated for the position of Sulom President if the two want to have the team’s signature on their nominations forms.
After Nyirenda rejected the demand, the meeting ended prematurely.
A few days later, Nyirenda wrote Gangata resigning as the team’s General Secretary.
“The tag of war resulted into a confusion after the list of those nominated showed that Nyirenda and Selemani were both nominated to contest on Vice General Secretary position with the later also appearing on the legal advisors position. It was the team’s move to see into it that Nyirenda fails to make it at the polls,” said our source.
However, Selemani withdrew from the vice General Secretary Position, meaning that he is only contesting on the legal advisors post.
Recently, Gandata told the local media that there is no problem whenever any official resigns from the team as he sweated for it himself, with the rest joining him when everything was in place.
“Some of these officials you hear these days I made them myself. They came to Masters Security FC with no football background but have risen because of me. Every time they leave I always cherish that after learning the trade from, they leave with a good background,” he said adding that “the development has no negative impact on the team because they are a lot of people out there ready to join the management of the same.”
Nyirenda and Selemani refused to comment when contacted while Gangata was reportedly busy with some equally important things.
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