Bullets reveal Charity Shield boycott threat

Nyasa Big Bullets FC on Friday revealed  their threat to boycott this afternoon’s Charity Shield Match against Silver Strikers over participation fee disagreements with Football Association of Malawi (FAM).

The People’s Team chief executive officer (CEO) Suzgo Nyirenda said in a statement that they nearly withdrew from the tournament because FAM initially offered them K2 million as participation fee  when they (Bullets) had proposed K3.8 million.

He said: “The reason why there was an impasse was because for the past one week, we have been talking to FAM regarding our participation in this competition.

“This is the fourth time we are participating in the Shield, but we have always been on the receiving end because there were other areas which we wanted FAM to rectify in terms of participation fees.”

Nyirenda also disclosed that the kit presentation ceremony on Friday was delayed because they  had reservations on the participation fees.

Said the Bullets CEO: “They [FAM] were offering K2 million when our budget was K3.8 million.

“And while we understand and appreciate the cause, we spend a lot of money on preparations and this is FAM’s Charity Shield.

“Things should not be done at the expense of the clubs. We have been participating in the shield ”for sometime and at the end of the day it costs us a lot.”

Nyirenda said being the organisers of the shield, FAM should bear the costs.

“So, FAM has been playing hide and seek and stuck to their guns up to this morning [yesterday] when we reached an agreement and they offered to give us K3 million,” he said.

The Bullets CEO said they gave FAM a condition to release the K3 million by close of business yesterday “having been tricked us before”.

He said: “We did that because four years ago in Lilongwe, they told us that they would give us K4 million—K2 million upfront and the other K2 million after the match—but they only gave us K2 million upfront and K500 000 after the match.

“So, we are dealing with people that are shrewd and, we therefore, felt we should clear that with the media.”

Nyirenda said going forward, they expect FAM to meet the costs of clubs’ participation in the Charity Shield.

FAM competitions and communications director Gomezgani Zakazaka confirmed in an interview that initially they offered K2 million to each team considering the charity cause.

He said: “Silver Strikers have paid for their transportations for the cause of charity. The proceeds from this match will go towards charity which is the objective of the shield.

“Anyway, the good thing is that we reached an agreement and the issue was sorted out.”

Proceeds from the match to be played under the theme Together Supporting Flood Victims, will go towards flood survivors left destitute in the Lower Shire Valley districts of Chikwawa and Nsanje following the Tropical Storm Ana.

The Charity Shield will mark the kick off of the 2022 season with the TNM Super League kicking off on March 19.

The Charity Shield was introduced in 2016 and for the first two years it was a one-day event, involving the national league champions and national cup winners.

In 2018 and 2019 it involved four teams: national league champions, national cup champions, national league runners up.

The competition did not take place in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

This year the competition has reverted to the original format of a one-day event involving two teams.