Clubs plead for more time on women’s team requirement

TNM Super League clubs have pleaded with Football Association of Malawi (FAM) to give them more time to meet a requirement that from next season they should have women’s teams as part of club licensing.

According to FAM, the requirement follows a resolution by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) that all national league clubs should have women’s football teams.

But so far, only four of the 16 top-flight clubs, namely Nyasa Big Bullets, Civil Service United, Kamuzu Barracks and Moyale FC have established women’s football teams.

Out of the remaining 12, Mighty Mukuru Wanderers have disclosed that they are negotiating to buy Bangwe Super Queens to meet the FAM directive.

However, other teams when contacted said it will not be possible to meet the requirement before the season kicks off.

Karonga United general secretary Ramzy Simwaka said they are not ready to meet the requirement.

He said: “They need to be realistic when coming up with recommendations. Honestly, as Karonga United we will not meet that requirement when the season kicks off late April. We are struggling to finance the main team and it is unrealistic for us to have a women’s team in place.

“Let me state clearly that we will not meet that requirement. We cannot adopt another financial burden when we are finding it difficult to finance the current team.”

On his part, Dedza Dynamos Salima Sugar FC general secretary Mabvuto Mugode said even if they can manoeuvre to assemble the women football players it will be a tall order to have the team in place by late April.

“If they can finance us we can form the team next year not this year. It is therefore not possible for us to meet the requirement as the league kicks off this season.” he said.

Chitipa United team manager Watson Kabaghe and Silver Strikers acting chief executive officer Faith Vilakathi  highlighted similar sentiments.

Kabaghe said: “Time is too short and resources are not permitting us to have a women’s team in place to meet the requirement.

“As Chitipa, we don’t have a sponsor and it is not possible to finance an extra team. It is a tall order for us to have the women’s team this time around to meet the FAM directive.”

On her part, Vilakati said: “Maybe next season so that we should have time to put things in order.”

Mafco FC team manager Godfrey Makawano said they are assembling a women’s football team.

He said: “Progress is there to have a women’s football team. We identified the talent from women’s teams available in the area.

“However, we will need enough time to formalise the set up. That cannot happen within a short period.”

Blue Eagles chairperson Alexander Ngwala said they already have a women’s football team, but it is not ready for registration.

He said: “The decision has been so quick to tell the teams to have the women side visible as the league kicks off this season.”

Bangwe All Stars chairperson Mphatso Jika, Ekwendeni Hammers general secretary Benjamin Thole and Mighty Tigers general secretary Akuzike Kafwamba said they already have women’s teams.

However, they all said they need time to formalise the relationship  between the main team and the women’s team.

Thole said: “We already have a women’s team, Bico Opticals which is playing in FAM Women’s League. That said, the period is too short to formalise the adoption of the women’s team into the existing main’s administrative structure and the question would be do we have time? I do not think so.”

On in his part, Kafwamba said much as they would love to have a women’s team, they would be stretched to fully operationalise the side as their resources are already meagre.

He said: “We would rather dedicate the available resources into existing requirements.”

But FAM licensing and compliance manager Casper Jangale insisted that clubs that will not meet the said condition will not be issued licences to participate in the TNM Super League.

“It is either the clubs should have a women’s team or partner with one. If they don’t, then they will not be issued with licences. We are setting standards aimed at developing our game as per CAF requirements,” he said.

Football analyst George Kaudza Masina said FAM should have engaged the teams before imposing the requirement.

He said: “It is a good idea for Super League clubs to also own women’s teams, however, the timing is wrong.”