By Donata Mpochela
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)– Malawi teams have missed out on the list of teams to benefit from early disbursment of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) payouts having failed to reach the group stages of interclub competitions. This poor showing has a negative impact on the teams’ financial base.
Minimum payouts guaranteed for clubs participating in Total Caf Champions League is $550, 000 (about K400 million) and $270,000 (about K198 million) for the Total Caf Confederation Cup.
“The world of football and, for that matter African football, is going through unprecedented difficulties. The current situation has had a telling effect on African football stakeholders, and Caf is being responsive to the needs of our clubs, one of the key stakeholders, by facilitating the payment of their prize monies well ahead of time,” Caf president Ahmad told Caf Online. Caf has resolved to accelerate the payment of the final trance of financial rewards to the teams that reached group stages to reduce the financial burden on the clubs.
The continental football governing body is paying all the 32 teams that reached the group stages of the Caf Champions League and Confederation Cup in the 2019/2020 season.
Nyasa Big Bullets (then Bakili Bullets) was the last team from Malawi to reach the group stages in the 2003/2004 season.
Be Forward Wanderers, Silver Strikers and relegated Masters Security FC despite participating in interclub competitions in recent years have failed to reach the group stages.
Both Bullets and Wanderers took part in Total Caf Champions League whereas Silver and Masters took part in Confederation Cup in recent years.
Local football analyst George Kaudza-Masina said local clubs lose a lot of revenue when they fail to reach the group stages of the interclub competitions.
“Financially, it helps the clubs and most of the clubs that reach the group stages get a lot of revenue. Apart from getting more money, it is also a good exposure for the players and teams,” Masina said.
Bullets took part in the Caf Champions League last year but were eliminated in the preliminary stages after a 2-1 aggregate loss to FC Platinum of Zimbabwe whereas Masters participated in the Confederation Cup but also exited after losing 3-0 on aggregate to Proline FC of Uganda.
Bullets and Silver participated in the interclub competitions in 2018 but both exited in the preliminary rounds. In 2017, Wanderers and Masters were also eliminated in the same stage.
