Bullets given Monday deadline on reserve side
The Southern Region Football Association (SRFA) has given Nyasa Big Bullets up to Monday to decide whether their reserve side will stay put in the second-tier ThumbsUp League or play in the TNM Super League next season.
The People’s Team’s feeder side earned promotion to the top-flight league after winning the ThumbsUp League title and the club is waiting for its board’s determination on the matter.
In an interview yesterday, SRFA chairperson Raphael Humba said they wrote Bullets last Monday, giving them a seven-day ultimatum to decide on the issue.
He said: “Initially, we wrote them through FAM [Football Association of Malawi] about two weeks ago, but they did not respond. So, on Monday we wrote them a reminder and this time, we gave them a cutoff point.
“We hope they understand the urgency of the matter because there are issues of logistics that we have to deal with and they require ample time.”
On what will happen should Bullets not decide by the set period, Humba said: “I do not think we will reach that point. As a company, we expect them to be professional, failing which then we will determine the way forward.”
Bullets chief administration officer Albert Chigoga said while the board was yet to decide, they are optimistic of beating the deadline set by SRFA.
He said: “We are indeed in receipt of their letter, but we are not pressing the panic button because by then, we would have come up with a position.”
On whether there are possibilities of having two clubs in the elite league, Chigoga said: “Let me not pre-empt, it’s neither here nor there.”
Two seasons ago, Bullets Reserves also won the league, but surrendered their slot to Ntopwa FC, who were their runners-up.
But last month, Chigoga said while there was a possibility of a repeat of their previous decision, there was also a chance that things could turn out differently.
Sable Farming finished as Bullets Reserves’ runners-up and are waiting in the wings should the champions give up the Super League slot.
