KB date Moyale in Carlsberg Cup final
Kamuzu Barracks (KB) players choked on tear gas but still dismissed a 10-man Blantyre United 2-0 on Sunday at Kamuzu Stadium to ensure an all-soldiers’ 2013 Carlsberg Cup final.
This time around, it was not the soldiers’ fault. Unprovoked fans stoned an unarmed police officer, forcing the law enforcers to fire tear gas canisters. This happened after 80 minutes of play.
This occured when KB were comfortably leading 2-0 against the only surviving civilian side in the cup.
Play continued after a fracas had started although the pitch was littered with maize cobs and stones. The police took their positions while peacefully urging the fans to calm down.
The missiles kept raining on the pitch. One brave police officer in camouflage tried to follow the fans, but he was stoned in the head. He appeared dazed and stooped, unable to get up as he leaned on the fence.
His colleagues, standing metres away, looked afraid to come to his rescue. Those by the perimeter fence of the pitch had no choice. They dispersed the rowdy fans by firing tear gas all over the stadium.
As the canisters exploded, fans lay down, some groaned and washed their faces while many scampered while shedding tears. Play stopped for some 10 minutes before resuming despite United coach Elia Kananji’s reluctance.
“We are out but the refs were not helping matters, the referees provoked it, KB handled three times and this annoyed the fans. We had problems returning to the pitch as we were in pain,” Kananji complained.
KB captain World Nkuliwa scrambled in the opener on the 36th minute, deflecting his shot into the net after an initial shot by a KB player bounded off a United defence. KB led 1-0 at half-time. Kelvin Malikebu flicked into the net the second goal from Manaseh Chiyesa’s low cross on the 75th minute.
With United out, this season’s Army teams’ dominance of cups continues. It all started with other soldiers Mafco seizing the Presidential Cup. But the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) teams are not to blame.
The Super League of Malawi and its mother the Football Association of Malawi take the blame for failing to enforce Fifa-sponsored Lilongwe Declaration’s recommendations against having in the league more than two teams from the same institution.
For now, the enmity between fans of civilian teams and MDF sides appears deeply entrenched. It could be a matter of time before the worst happens. Fines for perpetrators are not working as domestic clubs cannot differentiate their genuine fans from hooligans.
KB had played under protest fearing for their safety after a quarter-final match between soldiers’ Red Lions and Evirom also snow balled into violence.
