Kaporo protest NRFA presence at hearing

Kaporo Stars, who shunned the rescheduled Northern Region Football Association (NRFA) Premier Division match against Mzuni, yesterday protested the presence of the association’s members at a hearing held in Mzuzu on Monday.

The hearing followed a directive by Football Association of Malawi (FAM) that NFRA should institute an independent disciplinary committee to preside over the hearing.

However, Kaporo patron, Lufeyo Banda, said he was surprised to see that the committee included NRFA officials, in particular vice-chairperson Zuza Nyondo, whom he claimed presided over the meeting.

“The letter from FAM made it clear that the committee should be independent, but surprisingly Nyondo and a few others were part of it. Now, where is fairness here? Were they not defeating wheels of justice?

“That is why we have been pleading that the right body to hear this case is FAM,” said Banda.

While confirming that he attended the hearing, Nyondo said he was representing NRFA.

But Banda countered: “That is not true. You can even ask the referee, Nyondo was in the forefront asking questions. He actually ran the whole show. The playing field is not level at all.”

For the first time, the referee, Adam Musomba, who officiated the ill-fated match, which Kaporo won 1-0, also gave his testimony and stood his ground that the match was played in normal time.

FAM chief executive officer Suzgo Nyirenda said he was yet to get a report on the hearing and would follow up on Kaporo’s claims.

The decision by NRFA to award the rescheduled game to Mzuni led to Mzuni winning the championship and protests from both Chilumba Barracks—who lost the title by a point—as well as Kaporo.