Angry fans hold Nomads players hostage after loss

Irate Be Forward Wanderers fans on Sunday held the club’s players hostage at their clubhouse in Chichiri following the 0-1 loss to Mafco in a TNM Super League match at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre.

This was the Nomads’ first defeat of the season.

Soon after the match, the fans rushed to the team’s clubhouse, located along Lali Lubani Road, just a stone throw away from the stadium.

They blocked the entrance with stone’s as they bayed for the players’ blood and showered insults on the club’s officials for over an hour.

In a video clip that went viral on social media, a fan is overheard shouting: “Lero nde tithana nanu, simutuluka muwona, ngati simukufuna osangosiya bwanji…Mukuwona ngati tingakunyengerereni?” [We’ll deal with you, we won’t let you go. If you don’t want to play for Wanderers, why don’t you just quit?].

The supporters also demanded the resignation of the executive committee.

It had to take the intervention of the club’s former main supporters committee chairman Yona Malunga to cool down the tempers.

He pleaded with the supporters to calm down and asked the team captain Alfred Manyozo Jnr to address the fans.

But before Manyozo could speak, there was a verbal tirade between the Nomads skipper and some fans.

And in the heat of the moment, Manyozo was overheard shouting: “Kodi iwe umayesa timabwera kuzasewera kuno eti?….Kamenye mpira iweyo! fotseki! Za chamba eti!”

After the situation had calmed down, Manyozo pleaded with the supporters for their understanding, assuring them that the club will turn the corner.

He also pointed out that the players are demotivated as they are not getting their game bonuses, some of them backdated to last season.

In an interview yesterday, Manyozo said as players they take the blame for the poor results “and I apologise to our supporters for whatever happened at the clubhouse”.

The team’s main supporters committee chairperson Melvin Nkunika described the situation as unfortunate.

He said: “The fans were angry that they have only won one out of five games. They feel that the players are not giving out their best and can do better.

“But then these players lack motivation as they are not getting their game bonuses, unfortunately the officials are nowhere to be found.

“It could have helped if they had found time to update the players on the issue and give them a word of encouragement. With the way things are going, I fear for the worst in the upcoming Blantyre derby against Nyasa Big Bullets.”

Club chairperson Symon Sikwese said: “I am out of Blantyre and I was just told that there were nasty scenes at the club and I am seriously considering my future with the team.

“The team has no sponsor and while some of us are busy channelling our energy towards hunting for a sponsor, these people have the cheek to hurl insults on us. So, I am thinking is it really worth it? It’s really chaos and with such developments, it really puts you off.

“We are meeting as an executive soon and by Tuesday, I should have a clear position.”

The Nomads are a distant 10th in the 16 team top-flight with six points from five games, having won one, drawn three and lost once.