The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has said government will decide on the date and venue of the Presidential Cup finals.
Initially, FAM indicated that the finals will be played during the weekend of July 28-29, but the competition’s main desk officer Casper Jangale said the dates were just tentative.
“We have written government as sponsors to make decisions of the cup. We indicated that the games should be played on 28 or 29 at Kamuzu Stadium. But the sponsors have the right to decide where the cup will be staged and, of course, the venue,” said Jangale.
Incidentally, FAM’s proposed dates for the finals clash with the launch of the Carlsberg Cup.
One thing, for sure, is that a Blantyre-based team will be in the finals as Escom play Bullets in the semi-final match while Mzuzu-based Moyale play Red Lions in another semi-final encounter. Mzuzu has never hosted the Presidential Cup finals whereas Zomba has no proper venue to stage a final of that magnitude.
Taking the cup final to Lilongwe may again be unrealistic as no team from the Central Region remains in the competition.
FAM has also shifted the game between Red Lions and Moyale from Zomba to Kamuzu Stadium on Saturday while the Bullets and Escom game has been moved to Sunday at the same venue.
” It was decided that at this point, we should be using neutral venues and Kamuzu is for both games,” said Jangale
Meanwhile, Bullets FC striker Gabadini Mhango is the hot contender for the Golden Boot Award.
He has six goals just like Super Eagles striker Peter Kasonga, but the latter’s team is out of competition. On third position is Chrispin Fukizi of Moyale with three goals.
Gabadini scored a hat-trick last week when Bullets beat Bvumbwe 4-0 in the quarter-finals after also claiming a brace in the round of 16 as Bullets beat Silver Strikers 3-1. He was also on target when Bullets beat Ng’onga FC of Rumphi 3-0 in the round of 32.
“To me, winning the award is not a priority as my focus is to help the team win a cup for the first time in 10 years,” Gabadini said.
While Escom were the losing semi-finalist in 2009, the other three teams have never reached the finals of the competition.
