Media Release
IN THE MATTER OF THE FAM DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE ON AN APPEAL HEARING BETWEEN MIGHTY MUKURU WANDERERS AND THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF MALAWI
On 24th November 2023, the FAM Disciplinary Committee was convened for the purpose of considering an appeal lodged by Mighty Mukuru Wanderers Football Club against the decision of the FAM Competitions Committee on charges of misconduct during the 2023 Airtel Top 8 Quarter Final Match (1st leg) played on 23rd September 2023 at the Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.
The FAM Disciplinary Committee identified the following issues that it had to determine:
1. Causing abandonment of the Match;
2. Mighty Mukuru Wanderers failure to control supporters;
3. Bringing the game of football into disrepute contrary to Article 13 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code;.
The FAM Disciplinary Committee proceeded to consider the appeal and has given the following decision:
a) That the match was abandoned due to the conduct of Mighty Mukuru Wanderers players by refusing to commence the game after the disputed goal was allowed to stand;
b) That the referee made obvious error but referee errors are dealt with through other available procedures and indeed action was taken to penalize the referee;
c) That the referee error should not be justification for abandoning a match. Alowing this would bring disrepute to the game as errors are part of the game;
d) That all matters raised by Mighty Mukuru Wanderers are inconsequential and the FAM Disciplinary Committee did not see need to rule on those issues, The FAM Disciplinary Committee did not find any reason to depart from the ruling of the FAM Competitions Committee.
For avoidance of doubt, it is the considered opinion of the FAM Disciplinary Committee that the decision of the FAM Competitions Committee be, and is hereby upheld in its entirety.
