Masters Security Services are yet to honour the Southern Region Football League (SRFL) prizes for last season amounting to about K5 million.
The situation has affected the clubs—Nchalo United who emerged Premier Division champions and their runners-up Prison United and Chikwawa United who finished third, Division One champions Nyasa Big Bullets Reserve, runners-up Naming’omba and Hangover FC who were third.
Nchalo are supposed to receive K1.8 million, Prison United will get K1 million and K500 000 for Chikwawa United while Nyasa K750 000 was earmarked for Nyasa Big Bullets Reserve, Naming’omba K500 000 for Naming’omba and K300 000 for Hangover in Division One.
Apart from team prizes, there are also a number of individual prizes such as top goal scorers for both divisions.
Nchalo United chairperson Peter Chiipanthenga urged both SRFL and the sponsors to reach a consensus on the payment as it has taken too long.
“It’s unfortunate that it has taken this long and I don’t understand why FAM is allowing this,” he said.
“The K1.8 million would have made a difference as we are financially struggling in the [TNM] Super League.”
Hangover FC team manager Willard Banda also said it was disappointing that the sponsor has not honoured its commitment to the sponsorship.
“We finished the season in December and imagine Nchalo are about to finish their Super League assignments without receiving the prize money.
Southern Region Football Association (SRFA) chairperson Raphael Humba said discussions with their former sponsor to honour its contractual obligation have been on-going and the league has since sought Football Association of Malawi’s intervention.
“Masters Security have not yet honoured the prizes for the league although we have been negotiating,” Humba said.
FAM president Walter Nyamilandu said the association advised SRFL and Masters to resolve the issue through discussions.
“We left the matter for committee SRFA and Masters Security to dialogue and it seems that has failed. We will need to follow up. It’s not too late because Masters Security are still actively participating in football through the team they are sponsoring in the Super League,” he said.
Nyamilandu also said FAM is not involved in the sponsorship discussions between the two parties.
SRFL has since secured another sponsor, Chitetezo Mbaula, after unceremoniously cutting ties with Masters Security who had sponsored the league for two of the agreed three years.
Master Security business development director Christopher Njeula confirmed that the company is yet to pay the prize money but said it will be honoured within the month.
“It has taken too long because we could not agree on some issues, but we will present the prize money towards the end of this month,” he said.
