NO HOME GROUND ADVANTAGE FOR MALAWI?

The Flames of Malawi could play their next three home games (against Burkina Faso, Guinea and Ivory Coast) at a neutral ground if several structural and maintenance issues with the Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre are not resolved by May 15, 2009. Kamuzu Stadium is the only Stadium in Malawi approved by FIFA to host the 2010 World Cup qualifying matches. Ironically, Fifa recently approved and sponsored the renovation of the Kamuzu Stadium natural grass pitch into a synthetic football pitch called the artificial turf.

According to newspaper reports, The Football Association of Malawi has to communicate to FIFA by May 4, 2009 whether or not they will be able to resolve the several structural and maintenance issues with the Kamuzu Stadium. If the issues will not be resolved by May 15, 2009 the games will be played in other countries chosen by the Football Association of Malawi. As of today, The Fifa website does not give any venue of the June 6 Malawi/Burkina Faso match: TBA (To Be Advised), unlike the other matches of the group.

The Flames of Malawi are scheduled to play Burkina Faso on June 6, 2009 at the Kamuzu Stadium. The Flames haven’t lost a game at Kamuzu Stadium during the 2010 WC qualifiers. Last round they beat Egypt (1-0), DRC (2-1) and Djibouti (8-1). According to Kinna (The Flames’ coach), “no team, not even the current World Champions Italy, can beat us on home soil (Kamuzu Stadium).”

Guinea could also play their home games away. FIFA officials will soon visit Conakry to ascertain the safety standards of “The September 28″ Stadium ahead of Guinea’s World Cup qualifying game against Ivory Coast on June 6, 2009. “The September 28” Stadium is over 50 years old and has a 25,000 capacity. FIFA may ban the stadium because it may be too old to host international football matches. Some things are built to last forever?

I don’t have details about safety standards that FIFA wants Malawi to meet. If there are cracks in the upper stands then may be they should ask (order) Malawi to limit the capacity to about 30,000 (just the lower stands, the upper stands should be a no-go zone). Safety is always first. Kenya has been asked (ordered) to limit attendance to 60 per cent of the 30,000 capacity at the Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi for its remaining home World Cup qualifiers. They host Mozambique on June 20 and Nigeria on November 14. FIFA believes that a reduced capacity will help Kenya to fully implement all their safety requirements.

This comes as Fifa calls for its members to do everything possible to prevent stadium tragedies. Earlier this week FIFA said that World Cup match referees have the authority to delay kick-offs for safety reasons, after 19 fans were killed in a stampede at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan before Drogba and Ivory Coast extinguished The Flames. Referees will therefore not start a match unless security is established outside the stadia and spectators have taken their seats.