Football Association of Malawi (FAM) disciplinary committee has banned three Nchalo United Football Club officials from all football-related matters for match fixing.

The three officials namely, Enock Whwayo, Patson Nyengo and coach Mabvuto Lungu have been banned for three years each for attempting to bribe referees in order to fix their Carlsberg Cup round of 32 encounter against Chitipa United at Mzuzu Stadium on 13 July 2017.

The committee has further slapped Nchalo United football club with K500, 000 fine and will also have their three points deducted in the 2018 TNM Super League.

According to a statement released and signed by FAM General Secretary Alfred Gunda, the committee met on February 3, 2018 for a disciplinary hearing on the case.

The referees involved were Aziz Nyirenda, Limbani Chisambi, Stefano Gomani, Jimmy Nangantani Phiri and Lameck Phiri. The statement said they were involved in match fixing or tried to fix the match with a bribe amounting to K15, 000.

On their part, the committee found that there was no match fixing but only an attempt which is contrary to Articles 2, 8, 9, 62 and 69 of the FAM Disciplinary Code.

Nangantani Phiri was slapped with a three year ban effective from 13th July 2017. The committee further banned him from entering any stadium in Malawi for 10 months effective from 8th February, 2018.

However, the committee cleared referee Azizi Nyirenda of any wrongdoing in the whole saga but he was given a two month ban for failing to report the incident despite being aware of the intended bribe before the match kicked off.

Other referees Gomani and Chisambi were also cleared of any wrong-doing but the FA slapped the duo with a 4 month and 18 month ban respectively for failing to report the incident.

The committee further concluded that Nyirenda, Chisambo, Gomani and Lameck Phiri never handled the bribery money.

The disciplinary committee therefore overruled all life bans imposed on the match officials by the National Referees Committee just a week after the incident.