FAM ignores revenue impact in Standard Bank

Standard Bank Cup preliminary fixtures played midweek recorded poor revenue, a development attributed to poor coordination.

The game between Dedza Young Soccer Stars and Kamuzu Barracks (KB) played on Wednesday made a meagre K470 000. The teams shared about K150 000 each.

While the Thursday fixture between Mighty Be Forward Wanderers and Mafco FC realised K3.4 million. The two teams got K633 480 each.

This is in marked contrast to Carlsberg Cup finals played at the weekend at the same venue and K27 million was collected. The game was played at the weekend.

Wanderers vice-general secretary Christopher Kananji said they could have made K8 million or more if the game had been played at the weekend.

“Had the game been played on Saturday or Sunday, this could have meant more revenue for the two teams,” said Kananji.

Soccer pundits say for a football industry that is yet to embrace merchandising and benefit from television rights, gate collection is the major way of making revenues.

Football Association of Malawi (FAM) competitions manager Gomezgani Zakazaka said much as his organisation appreciates the financial challenges most local clubs face, they had to stick to the calendar.

“We had to ignore the impact of revenue to have a harmonised calendar. We have a tight calendar since the 2015 TNM Super League second round was scheduled to resume on Saturday [yesterday]. We communicated to the four clubs about the programme,” said Zakazaka in a telephone interview on Friday.

Kananji admitted receiving the communication.

“Of course, they had valid reasons to fix the games in midweek. That is the reason we consented although, we have lost on revenue,” said Kananji whose team beat Mafco 5-4 on post-match penalties to reach quarter-finals of the Standard Bank Cup. n