Beach soccer future uncertain

The future of beach soccer looks bleak after a prolonged power struggle that has dragged for over a year led to halting of all activities on the Lake Malawi shores.

There is a pending case in which former Beach Soccer Association (BSA) executive committee (ex-co) is challenging the newly-elected committee after Football Association of Malawi (FAM) ordered fresh elections.

In December 2020, FAM disciplinary committee ruled that there was no legitimate BSA ex-co since 2018, meaning both committees were nullified.

But FAM executive committee appealed against the ruling despite the former  BSA ex-co protesting against the move, describing it as irregular since FAM is challenging its own judicial organ.

The appeals committee is yet to make a ruling on this matter and this has led to all beach soccer activities being put on hold.

Both parties have bemoaned the delay to conclude the case which has now dragged for over a year.

Chairperson for the newly-elected ex-co, Gift Chimbalanga said it will be difficult to recover if the case is not concluded.

He said: “Beach Soccer is going to be wiped out. The teams are getting discouraged. The last tournament we had was two years ago. Just imagine the teams still haven’t concluded their games from two years ago.

“There is literary nothing on the ground because of the case. What is more disturbing is that we are losing our players. Beach soccer players have opted to join mainstream football since regional football leagues have started.”

While other affiliates have accessed Covid-19 relief funds, beach soccer has not done so due to the power vacuum.

Chimbalanga prayed for a quick ruling by the appeals committee regardless  of the decision.

He said: “We don’t mind the outcome, whether we go for fresh elections or they uphold our committee. We just want beach soccer to be back, otherwise it’s hell for beach soccer.”

The previous committee’s lawyer Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda also expressed his clients’ frustration with the delays in concluding  the case.

He said: “Justice delayed is justice denied. I think all FAM cares about is football politics. FAM doesn’t serve the national interests. Their decisions serve personal aggrandisement.”

Meanwhile, BSA cannot access funding from FAM until a ruling is made.

While other FAM affiliates  are back in action after almost a year of inactivity due to Covid-19, beach soccer remains isolated.

There are also doubts on whether Malawi will participate in 2021 Beach Soccer Cosafa Cup to be held in July in Mozambique.

But FAM president Walter Nyamilandu said the local football  governing body was equally concerned with the impasse.

He said: “It’s very unfortunate that we are in this awkward situation. The league should have started in the absence of the main committee using regional lakeshore structures. But the real bottleneck has been suspension of football due to the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Beach soccer has five leagues in Chilumba, Karonga, Mangochi, Chintheche (Nkhata Bay) and  Salima.

“As various leagues are opening up, there is no reason why beach soccer should not resume on the shores of Lake Malawi. Their funding is still intact and it will be accessed once they are well organised and ready to administer the leagues,” said Nyamilandu.

On Cosafa Beach Soccer Cup, the FAM president said: “The players have been inactive for a long time; hence, they are bound to perform poorly.”