Super League on three-week recess

Barely two months into the 2021 season, the TNM Super League has gone into an early break due to the Covid-19 pandemic which has seen a sharp rise in new cases.

The total number of people killed by the pandemic has hit 321 and 6 416 active  cases as of yesterday.

Super League of Malawi (Sulom) has since announced that the league will go for a three-week recess to observe the gazetted new Covid-19 prevention laws which restrict public gatherings to 50 people.

This follows a clarification by the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 that the 50 people includes players.

A statement from the league runners issued by general secretary Williams Banda, says it is impossible to have a match with only 50 people.

The statement reads in part: “With the new Fifa five substitutes rule, players are already 20 per team [40]; plus seven technical offices [14] the total number of full teams is at 54 already. This excludes match officials, the media, paramedics, stewards and police.

“With the new laws in place, it is, therefore, impossible to have a match played under minimum requirements as stipulated by world football governing body Fifa. Sulom will fully comply with the newly-gazetted laws in an effort to fight the pandemic.”

Initially, the Presidential  Task Force on Covid-19 put the restriction  at 100, a development  which effectively  stopped supporters  from watching matches.

But following a sharp rise in the cases and deaths, the task force further reduced the number to 50.

However, even before government gazetted the new laws, Football  Association of Malawi (FAM) Covid-19 Task Force already recommended  the suspension of football for four weeks.

In a letter to FAM executive committee (ex-co), which we have seen, the task force cited challenges  such as testing of players and delays in releasing  results due to the increase in cases.

“The rising cases have overwhelmed our health system which is now characterised with testing challenges for both symptomatic and asymptomatic suspected cases, filled up Covid-19 designated spaces in our hospitals resulting in some clients being forced to be managed at home or encouraged to go to private hospitals, delays in releasing  results due  to the high  demand for testing than before and recording  unprecedented daily positive numbers and deaths.

“The above stated characteristics are directly affecting the game of football as we are expected  to test any symptomatic player or official and if found positive, we are expected to test all the contacts who in this case may be a whole team or number of Super League teams, Sulom officials, stewards and referees,” reads the letter signed by the task force chairperson Chimango Munthali who is also FAM ex-co member.

Reacting to the development, Bullets chief administration officer Albert Chigoga said: “Under the circumstances, it is understandable. We will continue preparing for the matches since training will not be affected by the newly-gazetted laws.”

Soccer analyst Charles Nyirenda observed that the football  fraternity had no choice but to adhere to the new laws.

“Indeed it would have been impossible  to play under the new laws which restricts public gathering to 50,” he said.

“Clubs should take advantage  of the three weeks to test players and officials so that they can recover before the league resumes.” n

The total number of people killed by the pandemic has hit 321 and 6 416 active  cases as of yesterday.

Super League of Malawi (Sulom) has since announced that the league will go for a three-week recess to observe the gazetted new Covid-19 prevention laws which restrict public gatherings to 50 people.

This follows a clarification by the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 that the 50 people includes players.

A statement from the league runners issued by general secretary Williams Banda, says it is impossible to have a match with only 50 people.

The statement reads in part: “With the new Fifa five substitutes rule, players are already 20 per team [40]; plus seven technical offices [14] the total number of full teams is at 54 already. This excludes match officials, the media, paramedics, stewards and police.

“With the new laws in place, it is, therefore, impossible to have a match played under minimum requirements as stipulated by world football governing body Fifa. Sulom will fully comply with the newly-gazetted laws in an effort to fight the pandemic.”

Initially, the Presidential  Task Force on Covid-19 put the restriction  at 100, a development  which effectively  stopped supporters  from watching matches.

But following a sharp rise in the cases and deaths, the task force further reduced the number to 50.

However, even before government gazetted the new laws, Football  Association of Malawi (FAM) Covid-19 Task Force already recommended  the suspension of football for four weeks.

In a letter to FAM executive committee (ex-co), which we have seen, the task force cited challenges  such as testing of players and delays in releasing  results due to the increase in cases.

“The rising cases have overwhelmed our health system which is now characterised with testing challenges for both symptomatic and asymptomatic suspected cases, filled up Covid-19 designated spaces in our hospitals resulting in some clients being forced to be managed at home or encouraged to go to private hospitals, delays in releasing  results due  to the high  demand for testing than before and recording  unprecedented daily positive numbers and deaths.

“The above stated characteristics are directly affecting the game of football as we are expected  to test any symptomatic player or official and if found positive, we are expected to test all the contacts who in this case may be a whole team or number of Super League teams, Sulom officials, stewards and referees,” reads the letter signed by the task force chairperson Chimango Munthali who is also FAM ex-co member.

Reacting to the development, Bullets chief administration officer Albert Chigoga said: “Under the circumstances, it is understandable. We will continue preparing for the matches since training will not be affected by the newly-gazetted laws.”

Soccer analyst Charles Nyirenda observed that the football  fraternity had no choice but to adhere to the new laws.

“Indeed it would have been impossible  to play under the new laws which restricts public gathering to 50,” he said.

“Clubs should take advantage  of the three weeks to test players and officials so that they can recover before the league resumes.” n