Silver Strikers Football Club have warned their supporters against engaging in violence, saying this poses a threat to the club’s commercialisation drive.

The club’s chief executive officer Thoko Chimbali made the call on Wednesday when management engaged the supporters executive committee at Silver Clubhouse in Lilongwe.

Silver Strikers fans cheering on their team during a recent match

He said the club had paid a lot in fines because of acts of the fans.

Said Chimbali: “Recently, we just paid K3.5 million fine for the violent incidents during an FDH Bank fixture against Nyasa Big Bullets. This money could have gone towards stocking more replica jerseys for sale.

“But we had to pay fines because of violence. We cannot progress in our commercial drive if you supporters continue to engage in acts of violence.”

Chimbali said as a registered company guaranteed by the Reserve Bank of Malawi Trust, Silver have an image to protect.

“As a business entity, we cannot succeed without supporters as you are the core of the marketing drive. But we cannot also succeed if you engage in violence and hooliganism during matches or even off the field,” he said.

Since 2017, Silver Strikers have paid K9.2 fines due to Super League of Malawi (Sulom) as well as Football Association of Maalwi.

On his part, Silver Strikers director and legal adviser Crispin Sibande said fans must desist from acts of violence if the club is to grow financially.

He said: “We will be having interface meetings with supporters now and then to bring awareness on on how acts of violence and hooliganism have ruined the club’s finances.

“During the orientation of the new committee, we reminded the fans that FAM run football in the country and we must respect that. FAM has authority to ban club from playing football in the country.

“Sulom, as a governing body for elite football, have regulations that must be adhered to. If supporters continue to react violently during football games Silver will continue to pay hefty fines and we will not progress in our efforts to make the club a professional entity.”

During the meeting, Sulom executive member Charles Manyungwa also cautioned the supporters to desist from violence.

He said: “Teams are struggling to find sponsorship in the country. But if you look at the behaviour of your fans, it has been deplorable. You fight against each other.”

Supporters’chairperson Brandson Levison assured Silver management that they would enforce discipline at match venues and off the pitch.

“We have already started putting in place measures to control errant fans. We will monitor our fans and report to them to police if they are misbehave,” he said.

England.and August 7 in Birmingham,

Previously, it was only netball that was competing through qualification while all individual athletes were doing it on solidarity.

Said Sakala: “We do not expect journeymen this time around because all athletes have made it after going through thorough vetting processes by their respective international federations. There should be no excuse for failure as we have high quality athletes.”

He said they also expect overwhelming support from the corporate world as the MCGA officially unveils Team Malawi next Monday.

Malawi, which will be represented, in athletics, is one of the poorest performing countries at the games and has the longest medal drought among southern African nations dating back to 1986. They only have three bronze acquired through boxers Tatu Chionga in 1970, Lyton Mphande as well as Solomon Kondowe in 1986.

In the southern Africa region, South Africa leads the tally with 389 medals comprising 130 gold, 123 silver and 136 bronze. During the last edition in Gold Coast, Australia in 2018, they won 40 medals, including 13 gold.

Zambia follows with 39 medals, including two gold won in 2018 while Zimbabwe has 36, Tanzania 21, Namibia 20, Botswana 17 and Mozambique six. Among these countries, Zimbabwe has the longest medal drought , having last won medals 20 years ago.

Runners Stern Lifa and Asimenye Simwaka and boxer Natasha Maya, who are among the qualified athletes, believe they have so far done enough preparations and have what it takes to improve Malawi’s medal tally at the games. Lifa and Simwaka, who beat their own personal records in men’s 100 metres (m) and women’s 400m races at the recent CAA African Seniors Championships in Mauritius, said they have so far gained enough experience to help them win medals at the Commonwealth Games.

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