Chikondi Magalasi
Nearly six out of ten matches in the topflight league and cup competitions at Dedza Stadium do not start or end without disagreements, chaos, or fights.
The chaos usually arises from juju beliefs, often linked to the stadium’s tunnel, which referees, assistants, team officials, players and others use to access the pitch.
Unlike other stadiums, Dedza’s dressing rooms are located beneath the VIP stands, connected directly to the tunnel made of steel bars and iron sheets.
The tunnel at Dedza Stadium has two doors just centimetres before the pitch’s wire fence, one on each side. This design fuels disputes, as teams refuse to use the full tunnel and instead battle to enter through the side doors rather than proceeding straight from the dressing rooms.
Most times, teams accuse each other of pouring substances believed to be juju in the tunnel.
On 25th July this year, during FDH Premiership match between Dedza Dynamos and FCB Nyasa Big Bullets, Dedza players were even carried on supporters’ backs to enter the pitch after halftime and they used the left sideway door of the tunnel as one is facing the pitch from VIP stands.
On 17th May this year, during another top-flight match between Dynamos and Blue Eagles, after half time break, Dynamos players used the left door and when Eagles’ players tried to use the same door they quarrelled with suspected Dynamos supporters who stopped them and had to go back to dressing rooms and use the tunnel despite that their opponents used the other way.
On 30th November 2025, there was an exchange of fists between supporters of Dynamos and MAFCO players, in collaboration with their officials, as the two teams were about to return to the field of play for the second half.
The incident started at halftime when a man wearing all black approached the right door, which is in the side of the tunnel close to its entrance, destroyed the lock that was used to secure the door with a stone, and forcefully opened the door for Dynamos’ players who were on the reserve to enter the field of play to do the halftime warm-up.
Football fan Aefeso Kachepa faulted the tunnel’s structural design, telling Wa Ganyu that the side doors should be sealed.
“Whenever locks are placed on those doors, officials break them for their players to use. The best solution is to seal the doors so everyone uses the tunnel to access the pitch. I believe this will restore sanity,” he said.
Another fan, Mary Chapweteka, agreed, wondering why authorities have not sealed the doors or constructed a brick tunnel to prevent such incidents.
“This tunnel needs reconstruction. All the chaos we see at this stadium is caused by it,” she said.
In an interview, Competitions director for Football Association of Malawi (FAM), Gomezgani Zakazaka, said there is a need for match organisers to stick to the rules and protocols during competitions.
“This all falls on match organisations. If you assign a passage that players and officials should use, there is no two ways about it, they need to follow that and match organisers need to be strict with such, anything contrary is against the rules and regulations.
“For instance, Bingu has so many entrances but if one entrance is assigned for teams and officials, they just need to follow that and use that said passage,” he said.
Dedza Stadium is home to two FDH Premiership teams; Dedza Dynamos and Luanar Mitundu Baptist.
