Bingu National Stadium, the only CAF-certified stadium in Malawi, has been disconnected from the national power grid after stadium management failed to clear outstanding electricity bills.
Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi Limited (Escom), the state-owned power transmission and distribution company, disconnected power to the stadium last week.
Reports gathered by BolaNews in Malawi indicate that the stadium owes Escom more than 100 million Malawian Kwacha (USD 57,664).
Ministry of Sports spokesperson Macmillan Mwale confirmed the development, saying stadium authorities are working to settle the debt as soon as possible.
“The news that Escom disconnected power from the stadium is true, we have bills with Escom and we have been working towards clearing the bill,” said Mwale.
Bingu National Stadium is the largest stadium in Malawi, followed by Kamuzu Stadium, which is also currently closed to the public.
Two weeks ago, the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) criticised the condition of the stadium, saying it was not fit to host elite matches and urged the government, as owners of the facility, to address the existing shortcomings.
Bingu Stadium is scheduled to host the second-leg FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifier between Malawi and Nigeria this Saturday before staging the Blantyre derby on Sunday.
If the outstanding bill is not settled before Saturday, authorities may be forced to use generators during the match.
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