TNM Super League rookies set for big stage

Newly-promoted TNM Super League teams Max Bullets, Dwangwa United and Chilumba Barracks have said they are ready for kickoff of the 2016 season in April.

Survival in the top-flight league has been a tall order for newcomers but Max Bullets owner Max Kapanda, Dwangwa team manager Dave Mwandira and Chilumba chairperson Major Precious Basikolo believe they have all it takes to survive relegation and mount serious challenge for the title.

Out of nine teams that joined the league in the past three seasons, it was only Mzuni FC and Airborne Rangers that managed to survive relegation.  Mzuni progressed to the 2016 season through goal difference after tying on 29 points with relegated Dedza Young Soccer Stars while Rangers, who have now faced the chop, survived the 2014 season.

The likes of Fisd Wizards, Dedza, Chikwawa United, Karonga United, Evirom FC and Mponela United were relegated in their first season.

Worse enough, it has been hard for teams to bounce back to the elite league after being relegated. Of course, Mzuni and Dwangwa are rare examples of teams that managed to return to the Super League fold after years in the lower leagues.

“We are more than ready to embark on our title campaign in the Super League. We are determined to prove that being rookies and not having corporate or government sponsorship are no excuses for failure in the top-flight league,” Kapanda said.

He said the team will  rely on the squad that won the Southern Region Football Association (SRFA) Premier League  as well as well-wishers for financial support.

According to Kapanda, in spite of having ‘reliable well-wishers’ to bankroll the team, they are also in the process of having an executive board comprising experienced administrators and technical individuals, “who know how to build a strong team and keep the team financially afloat.”

“We know it is going to be a tough first season for us and we are doing our best to be financially stable and technically good. We also have a coaster that will be at our service for all our fixtures and we might beef up our squad,” he said.

On his part, Dwangwa’s  Mwandira said nothing will stop them from surviving the chop.

“We have just hired former Prison United coach McDonald Mtetemera for a season-long contract and we will beef up the squad with very few experienced players because we have confidence in the current team,” he said.

Mwandira argued it would be even easier and cheaper to operate in the Super League where they will have less games than in the lower league, saying: “if we managed to fulfil all our 38 fixtures in the regional league, how can we fail to accomplish 28 Super League games?”

While being elusive on the financial status of his team, Chilumba’s Major Basikolo said they have intensified the search for experienced players and they will do everything possible to battle against established teams such as defending champions Nyasa Big Bullets and Mighty Be Forward Wanderers, which swim in over K100 million annual financial backing and have  probably the best players on the land.

Soccer analyst Charles Nyirenda said with FAM effecting club licensing system which among other things, requires Super League teams to have highly qualified coaches, the promoted teams can afford to avoid relegation.

“However, they need to be serious on acquiring experienced players and motivating them. The Super League is like a university where one needs to have adequate and high quality resources to survive,” Nyirenda said.

Nonetheless, Football Association of Malawi (FAM) club licensing manager Casper Jangale said the honeymoon for teams that have no clear budgets for their league campaign will be over after the 2016 season.

“We have accepted teams that are not financially stable to join the league because this is the first year for club licensing to be effective. Otherwise, from the 2017 season it will be mandatory for teams to convince us that they are financially stable so as to protect the image of the elite league,” Jangale said.

“To be absolutely sure that teams are capable of fulfilling all their fixtures without inconveniencing anybody, we will be asking them to deposit into FAM’s bank account licence application fee, which will be refunded at the beginning of the second round. As a punishment, if the teams fail to fulfil their obligations in the first round, the money will not be refunded.”