Bingu stadium flaws cost FAM

Football Association of Malawi (FAM) is paying a $5 250 (about K9 million) fine to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for every Flames’ international match hosted at Bingu National Stadium (BNS) due to  substandard technical area seats, it has emerged.

According to documents we have seen, CAF disciplinary board has been penalising FAM for contravening CAF Stadium Regulations on technical infraction during matches.

Article 9 of the regulations states that a stadium must have the luxury dugout seat teams’ substitutes and match officials’ benches.

The teams’ seats must have seating room for at least 14 persons and positioned at least five metres from the touchline while the match officials must have room for four match officials.

Article 46 reads: “In case stadium technical infractions are verified during a member association match, in a CAF interclub match or Fifa competition African qualifier match, CAF has the right to impose financial sanctions on the organising MA [member association] or club.

“The implementation of the requirements set in these regulations must be respected by all CAF MAs and clubs when participating in CAF competitions.”

According to a quotation we sourced from online suppliers, www.forzagoal.com, www.playnsports.com, the luxury dugout seat costs about $1 500 (K2.5 million) and a set of three for the two teams and the match officials is at $4 500 (about K7.5 million).

The stadium, the only one in the country certified to host Fifa/CAF matches, was in January 2023 given provisional approval to host international matches by CAF on condition that some shortfalls including the technical area seats, should be replaced with the approved luxury dugout shelter ones.

But one year later, the condemned seats, which expose the coaches and substitute players as well as match officials to bad weather, are yet to be replaced, prompting CAF to fine Malawi $5 250 fine for each Flames match the stadium hosts since January 2023.

One of the CAF disciplinary board communication to FAM which we have seen reads:  “In reference to the above-mentioned match [against Egypt], we would like to draw your attention that the below stadium infractions were viewed through the match live feed and reported by the designated CAF match officials.

“Accordingly, as per the grid of stadium sanctions for infractions during CAF matches set in article 47.04 of the CAF Stadium Regulations [ 2022 edition], the chairman of CAF disciplinary board approved a fine of $5 250.

“In this regard, the member association is requested to complete the payment of the fine within seven days of notification of the present decision to the below-mentioned bank account details. Upon payment, kindly send the proof of payment by email to club.licensing@cafonline.com and caffinance@cafonline.com.”

By now, Malawi must have already paid $21 000 (about K36 million) for hosting matches against Egypt, Guinea and Ethiopia in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and against Tunisia in 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

This year, Malawi will play four 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Liberia, Sao Tome, Equatorial Guinea and Namibia.

The Flames are also expected to play at home four 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against opponents to be unveiled after a draw set for next month.

This means that if the approved seats are not purchased and installed, Malawi could pay $42 000 (about K72.7 million) in fines.

But CAF regulations article 47.03 warns further that “fine amounts may be doubled in case of infraction repetition”.

CAF levies the fines to its member association, in this case FAM, despite the fact that BNS is owned and managed by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Ministry of Youth and Sports and FAM shifted the blame to each other when asked why they have failed to buy the approved seats.

In an interview, FAM competitions and communications director Gomezgani Zakazaka said the stadium owners were to blame.

He said: “Unfortunately, it is the responsibility of the facility’s owners to buy the seats. They have been promising to buy the recommended seats, but it has not happened.”

Zakazaka said FAM was ready to buy the seats if given a green light by government.

But the ministry’s spokesperson MacMillan Mwale in his response to FAM’s stance said they had already requested quotations and were now ‘mobilising resources’ to purchase the seats.

Besides the worn out seats, the facility has other flaws, including the security/perimeter fence on the other side, which compromises revenue collection on match days, but is not part of the Fifa fines.