Senior News Analyst

FAM has admitted that it is battling a severe cash squeeze that has resulted in its president Walter Nyamilandu missing the CAF annual congress.

Nyamilandu on Sunday confirmed having failed to travel to Gabon to attend the continental soccer governing body’s big meet that was held at the weekend.

“I have cancelled my trip to attend the congress and Africa Cup of Nations finals [between Cote d’Ivoire and Zambia] due to financial constraints that FAM is going through,” Nyamilandu said.

He also predicted a financially tough year for the association having sacrificed the $55 000 (about K9 million) towards settling compensation claims for land acquired in Mzuzu for the construction of Goal Project 3.

“Having exhausted all the project funding of $500 000, we had no alternative sources of meeting the compensation but to request Fifa to deduct from our annual grant.

“We felt that the project was more important and we didn’t want to lose the opportunity of constructing a technical centre in Mzuzu.

“This has meant that FAM will have to forego a lot of activities this year and I have decided to set an example by saving the little resources at our disposal by missing the CAF congress,” said the FAM leader.

However, Nyamilandu could not be drawn to mention some of the activities that FAM will forego.

But among other activities, the senior and junior national teams are expected to take part in Afcon 2012, Cecafa, Championship of African Nations, Cosafa Senior Challenge, Under-20, Under-17 and Cosafa Women Championship, CAF Under-17 and Under-20.