3 Mafco players, Lt Gulaimfa banned as FA Malawi slaps military side with K1.2mil fine
Three Mafco FC players and team manager Lieutenant David Gulaimfa have been banned from any football related activities following the fracas that erupted at the eve of a Carlsberg Cup quarterfinal match involving the soldiers and Nyasa Big Bullets at the Chitowe Stadium.
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) organising committee convened on Monday 15th August 2016 to review and make a decision on the event that occured at Chitowe on 12th August 2016 forcing the Carlsberg Cup quarter final fixture be postponed on security grounds.
Reports submitted by the match coordinator, Mafco FC and Bullets revealed that the fracas was due to Mafco’s invasion into the field of play where they disturbed Bullets training session.
According to the findings, Mafco players invaded the field of play following spoken instructions from their Team Manager David Gulaimfa.
Immediately after Mafco players entered the pitch all Bullets players assembled on the centre circle and marched out as a team.
As they left the pitch, Bullets goalkeeper Chimwemwe Kumkwawa wanted to collect a ball from Mafco’s Paul Ndlovu who ended up slapping him and when two Bullets players Fischer Kondowe and Nikiza Aimable went back to rescue their colleague, the situation got out of hand as other Mafco players Richard Mbulu and Stain Malata descended on them and rained them with punches.
It was also revealed that Mbulu later rushed to a Mafco vehicle where he picked a metal bar which he used to whip one of Bullets players.
The verdict indicates that the situation could have been avoided if Mafco FC conducted themselves in line with the Rules and Regulations of the game as well as respecting the direction given by the match coordinator on the day.
The Committee also observed that Bullets keeper Kumkwawa could have prevented the fighting if he could have not retaliated after being slapped at the first place.
The situation was also worsened after some Bullets players returned to the pich in a bid to rescue Kumkwawa.
Mafco was therefore fould guilty on a number of offences that included failing to control its official Gulaimfa after ordering that Mafco players invade the pitch while Bullets were trainning as well as
failing to control the unsporting behaviour of its players contrary to Artcle 24.21 of the Carlsberg Cup Rules and Regulations.
Bullets were also found guilty of failing to control its players from Physical confrontation contrary to Article 24.21 of the Carlsberg Cup Rules and Regulations.
Therefore, Bulets was fined K150,000.00 and they have also been strongly warned never to undermine the authority by walking out of a preparatory meeting as well as writing a letter advising on unilateral boycot of a match contrary to Article 21.12 of the Carlsberg Cup Rules and Regulations.
Mafco has been fined a total of K1,250,000.00 for various offences ranging from disrupting training which attract a fine of K450,000.00, assault which attracts K500,000.00, K300,000.00 for failing to control its players and official among others.
Team Manager Lieutenant Gulaimfa has been banned from any football related activities for three years.
Also on the ban list is the current Super League joint top goal scorer Richard Mbulu who will not take part to any football related activities for the rest of the 2016 season, while Paul Ndlovu and
Stain Malata have been banned for six matches.
Mafco goalie Jailos Kapalamula has been warned from indulging himself in any unsporting behaviour while Bullets keeper Kumkwawa has been handed a three match ban for reitariating after being slapped.
Meanwhile, all the concerned parties have been given a chance to appeal if they are unsatisfied with the rulling within a period of 24 hours with a K450,000.00 appeal fee.
The cancelled match will be played on 21st August 2016 at the Civo Stadium in Lilongwe.
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Soccer is not war, it is soccer. Cant imagine the whole Lieutenant unleashing his unruly boys to attack innocent civilian players. I think FAM should consider deleting these army teams from their books to allow them introduce their own games and play against each other, within their barrackes. This will serve us the burden of reading and hearing about these ruthless groups. Fellow Malawians, are you aware that the fine charged will come from our own coffers at the capital hill? And that the three players and their kapitao will not feel any pinch???
The decision is just okey only on part of kumkawa I nothing wrong for him going to take aball from where it was because it was his duty as gatekeeper to make sure the ball is collected and you know being controversial teams they were afreid of the ball being comprised by juju. So think again on that decision