RVG kick-starts monthly training camps

National football team coach Ronny van Geneugden (RVG) has started his monthly week-long training camps for national football teams following Football Association of Malawi’s (FAM) approval.

Setting the ball rolling was the Under-17 national soccer team which went into camp at Mpira Village in Chiwembe Township, Blantyre on Monday.

“From now on, we will be having week-long training camps for all the national teams as part of the drive to identify 75 quality players—25 each from the Under-17, Under-20 as well as the senior team—from where we can build a strong national team in the next four to five years.

“Next week, we will have the Under-20 team and the week after, the senior team [comprising local-based players only],” said RVG during a press briefing held in Blantyre on Monday.

He said they are planning to form an Olympiad squad from the current Under-17s to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as well as the 2019 CAF Youth Championship.

Asked on the sustainability of such an ambitious programme, Football Association of Malawi (FAM) general secretary Alfred Gunda said: “Of course, every programme has its cost implications.

“We will try with the little resources we have because the priority is to build a strong team for the future. Government always supports us so does the corporate world and we are hoping that they will come to the party and assist us further to achieve our goals.”