No vending in Silver Stadium during Standard Bank semis
The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) will ban selling of food stuffs inside Silver Stadium in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe, during the Standard Bank Knockout Trophy semi-finals this weekend.
FAM commercial manager Casper Jangale saidon Tuesday the decision has been made after observing that some fans use food stuffs as missiles.
The quarter-final game between Epac and Bullets on Sunday was stopped for eight minutes after Epac and ganyu supporters pelted the referee Kalyoto Ngosi with items such as cassava, apples, sweet potatoes and empty water bottles.
“We have to ban selling of foodstuffs in the stadium. Supporters should eat at home or outside the stadium. It is not our fault, we want to curb hooliganism,†said Jangale.
FAM referees sub-committee chairperson James Mwenda said there is need for wide consultation on the issue.
“There is need to share notes with police and stewards to see how best we can get rid of that before coming up with a final decision. We need to look at advantages and disadvantages of the ban,†he said.
Mwenda, who witnessed the ugly scenes on Sunday, condemned the acts.
“It is unfortunate that it happened that way. If the referee made a bad decision, the rightful person to complain was the captain not the players or the coaches. It is bad now that fans are taking the law into their hands,†said Mwenda.
Epac patron Dean Josiah-Banda blamed Ngosi for the fracas, saying it happened because he failed to discharge his duties professionally.
Bullets beat Epac 1-0 on goal aggregate after a goalless draw in the first leg.
