EXPIRED, BUMPY TURF FOR SIHLANGU MATCH!

MBABANE – Sihlangu should brace themselves for harsher conditions in Malawi, as reports surfaced that the match venue’s artificial turf expired last year.

The moment-defining clash has been slated for Sunday at the dilapidated Kamuzu Banda Stadium in Blantyre at 3:30pm. Sihlangu leave the country this afternoon for Johannesburg where they will connect a flight tomorrow to Blantyre. A report from a Malawi online publication called ‘The Nation,’ disclosed that the match will be played at the venue despite the documented bad state of the artificial turf.

The lifespan of the turf expired in 2015 and the surface now is unplayable, according to reports by the national online publication.
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) General Secretary Suzgo Nyirenda was quoted by the nation on Sunday saying the turf has been worn out.

“The lifespan of the artificial turf ended last year and the surface has become unplayable. It is no longer healthy for the players. After consulting with stakeholders, we will immediately write to government to ban the facility from hosting matches,” he said.
Nyirenda said the drainage system stopped working a long time ago and silt and sand were accumulating on the turf which is worn out.

The Malawi government, through the Ministry of Sports and Culture, conceded that the pitch was in bad state.  The stadium was once closed two year ago after an instruction from the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) due to its bad condition. The spokesperson of the Malawi Ministry of Sports and Culture, Christopher Mbukwa, said they could not act or close the stadium without consulting FAM. Kamuzu Stadium is also without floodlights, which saw the match being played an hour earlier than the stipulated time.

FAM has deployed a tractor that was meant for another stadium (Chiwembe) to clean the turf ahead of the game on Sunday.
Swazi players are used to artificial turf as Somhlolo National Stadium has it. Both turfs were installed using funding from FIFA. The National Football Association of Swaziland (NFAS) Marketing and Communications Manager Muzi Radebe said if CAF has sanctioned the game to be played in the stadium, there is nothing they could do.

“This is a CAF tournament and we are going to follow what they are saying. For now we know that the game has been scheduled for Kamuzu Stadium,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sihlangu coach Harries ‘Madze’ Bulunga said they needed to at least spend two days ahead of the game to familiarise themselves with the environment.

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