Wanderers keep fingers crossed as SULOM plan to review their postponement request

Mighty Wanderers Football Club are anxiously awaiting a decision from the Super League of Malawi (SULOM) Fixtures Committee regarding their request to reschedule Thursday’s match against Ekhaya FC.

The Nomads have formally requested the league governing body to postpone the fixture to allow their international players adequate recovery time after national team duty in Tunisia.

Wanderers are currently second on the log table, trailing their fierce rivals FCB Nyasa Big Bullets by four points. However, the Nomads have a game in hand and could close the gap to just one point with a victory.

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In a letter submitted to SULOM on Sunday, Wanderers cited player welfare and competitive integrity as grounds for their postponement request.

“This request is made on the basis that a number of our first-team players are presently engaged in national team duties and are only expected to arrive back in Lilongwe on Wednesday,” the letter reads.

“In view of the short turnaround time between their arrival and the scheduled match, the players would not have sufficient opportunity to recover, reintegrate into the team and undertake the necessary tactical preparations.

“Given the importance of maintaining the integrity and quality of the competition, and in the spirit of ensuring fair play and adequate player welfare, we believe that a short adjustment to the match date is both reasonable and consistent with the principles underpinning professional football administration.”

Three Wanderers players were called up for Malawi’s national team assignment: midfielder Blessings Singini, defender Emmanuel Nyirenda, and forward Wisdom Mpinganjira.

In Monday’s match against São Tomé and Príncipe, both Mpinganjira and Nyirenda remained on the bench as unused substitutes, while Singini entered the game in the 67th minute.

Unconfirmed reports suggest the players may arrive this afternoon through both Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe and Chileka Airport in Blantyre. Should they arrive today, they would have approximately 24 hours to rest before Thursday’s scheduled kickoff.

SULOM General Secretary Williams Banda remained non-committal when contacted by Daily Times Sport.

“We are aware that they [Wanderers] will play [in an] FDH [Cup match] on Sunday. The window has affected the schedules and fixtures should be discussed with SULOM,” Banda said.

A SULOM official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the Fixtures Committee would review the request before making a determination.

“This request will have to be looked at by the Fixtures Committee, which will weigh the reasons. And then the committee will make a decision. So, let’s wait for the decision from the committee,” the source said.

The scheduling challenge is compounded by Wanderers’ packed fixture list. After Thursday’s match against Ekhaya FC, the Nomads are scheduled to travel to Mchinji to face Creck Sporting Club.

Creck themselves will be playing against Mighty Tigers in Blantyre on Wednesday, adding another layer of complexity to the fixture scheduling.