The fallout between National Football Coaches Association and the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has taken a new twist with the coaches’ body seeking Malawi National Council of Sports’ intervention.
The two bodies have been at loggerheads following FAM’s decision to expel its three former affiliates namely, the coaches’ body, the National Football Referees Association and the National Youth Football Association in June last year.
Part of the letter the coaches’ body addressed to Sports Council board chairperson Jim Kalua and copied to Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture Principal Secretary Jameson Ndalama, reads: “We write to respectfully seek your urgent intervention regarding the continued governance challenges currently affecting FAM, particularly concerning the unlawful removal and exclusion of bonafide member associations from the governance structures of football in Malawi.
“[The three bodies] were removed from FAM membership through processes that we strongly believe contravened the provisions of the FAM Statutes. The concerns surrounding these actions were formally communicated to Fifa through a detailed complaint dated 17 October 2025, highlighting breaches of Articles 30 and 36 of the FAM Statutes relating to agenda requirements, due process, voting procedures and members’ rights.”
The coaches’ body further states that prior to escalating the matter to Fifa, efforts were made to engage the FAM leadership through dialogue, including a formal request for an urgent meeting with the FAM president in October last year.
“Unfortunately, despite these efforts, no meaningful resolution has been achieved,” reads the letter.
The coaches say they are particularly concerned that FAM has proceeded to call for the 2027 Annual General Meeting (AGM) “while deliberately” excluding the three bodies from participation and representation.
expel the three bodies:
Masiya Nyasulu. | Courtesy of FAM
Reads the letter: “This continued exclusion undermines the principles of inclusiveness, transparency, fairness and respect for institutional statutes that are fundamental to football governance,” the letter futher reads.
“The affected associations remain key stakeholders in the development of football in Malawi and their exclusion appears politically motivated rather than grounded in lawful constitutional procedures. This situation risks further damaging the credibility and integrity of football administration in the country.”
The coaches association says while it continues to explore all available lawful remedies, including possible legal avenues, they want Sports Sports Council to engage FAM leadership on the continued violation of its own statutes and governance procedures; ensure that all bona fide member associations are accorded their rightful participation and representation within FAM structures; encourage an urgent resolution of the matter in line with the FAM Statutes, Fifa governance principles, and the laws of Malawi; and prevent further escalation of the matter.
Kalua confirmed receipt of the letter, saying the issue is being handled accordingly by the council’s secretariat.
On why they still want to be part of the AGM after being expelled, the coaches association’s chairperson Aubrey Nankhuni said in an interview yesterday that they are not clinging to being an affiliate of FAM.
He said: “Our concern is that the process of removing us and others as affiliates was unprocedural. We were actually ambushed as there was no proper communication as regards the AGM agenda, the issue was also not discussed by the FAM executive as is the requirement in line with the statutes, if they did, let them produce the minutes.
“The voting was also not done through secret ballot as per statutes and all these issues were also raised with Fifa.
“Over and above that, we want FAM to explain which statutes they used to call for the upcoming AGM which guides that the three bodies should be omitted. We also want them to provide evidence that the statutes being relied on for calling for the AGM was submitted to Fifa and CAF [Confederations of African Football] for review, complete with the approval and no objection from the two bodies.”
Nankhuni said they are pursuing the issue to ensure that FAM should not take serious governance issues for granted.
“We do not want them to set a precedence whereby at the next AGM, they should expel another affiliate without following the procedures just to advance selfish interests of a few individuals because they have money to bulldoze their way at the expense of our football,” he said.
In his reaction, FAM president Fleetwood Haiya said: “I was looking at the articles in relation to the current status for Youth and National Football Coaches Association.
“Article 14(1)(f) of the Fifa Statutes (May 2024 edition), which states that member associations are obliged to ratify statutes that are in accordance with the requirements laid down in these Statutes.”
“In addition, Article 15 requires that member associations’ statutes comply with the principles of good governance and contain specific mandatory provisions prescribed by Fifa.
“While the Fifa Statutes themselves do not expressly say in Article 14 or 15 that every amendment must receive formal Fifa approval before taking effect, Fifa governance practice requires member associations to submit draft statutes and amendments to Fifa [and usually the relevant confederation, such as CAF] for review to ensure compliance with Fifa requirements.
“Fifa routinely issues comments, requests revisions and communicates whether it has any objections to proposed statutes. This is particularly important for electoral, governance and membership provisions.
“In short and straight forward, FAM statues are amended and approved by FAM general assembly.”
FAM’s next AGM is scheduled for Sunbird Livingstonia Beach in Salima on June 27.
During the AGM which led to the expulsion of the three former affiliates, Haiya said the associations were not supposed to be affiliates in the first place.
He said the statutes amendments are in line with Fifa and CAF.
