FDH Bank Premiership clubs have welcomed a Football Association of Malawi’s (FAM) decision to introduce a dedicated league for top-flight teams’ reserve sides, describing it as a crucial step in strengthening player development structures.
But the clubs have warned that while FAM is moving towards best practice, the initiative will only succeed with financial support to help teams meet the additional operational costs.
FAM on Tuesday announced that from the 2027/28 football season, reserve sides for all FDH Bank Premiership clubs will compete in their own league.
Luanar Mitundu chief executive officer (CEO) Edgar Chipalanjira said the development was long overdue and would help improve talent development, but said it is a delicate balance for clibs.
He said: “We salute the [Fleetwood] Haiya-led FAM for considering the reserve teams to be competitive and nationally active. It’s a viable watering arrangement for our nurseries.
| Courtesy of FAM
“The only challenge is indeed the state of our economy. But we are alive to the fact that football is expensive. We are hoping for more corporate partners to inject something in the game.”
Masters FC CEO Kevin Moyo also welcomed the initiative, but stressed that funding would be key to its success.
He said: “The biggest challenge on the introduction of a national league for reserve sides is financial sustainability on the part of teams.
“As long as subvention for clubs to sustain financial obligations for operations is met by FAM, then the competition will be viable.”
In an interview yesterday, FAM club licensing and competitions manager Clement Kafwafwa said the association is already engaging potential sponsors for the competition.
Under the new structure, relegated reams from the elite league will automatically exit with their reserve sides.
Kafwafwa said the move would also address challenges that arose when reserve teams competed in regional leagues but could not gain promotion because their senior sides were already in the top-flight.
He also cited situations where reserve teams competed in knockout competitions against their parent clubs.
Said Kafwafwa: “For example, Bullets once played their reserves in 2022 FDH Bank Cup final. We are avoiding that situation. Our reserve teams should compete among themselves.”
Meanwhile, FAM president Fleetwood Haiya described the development as a milestone in his football transformation agenda.
“The introduction of reserve teams’ competitions from the 2027/2028 season is a practical and strategic step in strengthening our football development structures and creating a clear player pathway from grassroots to elite football,” he said.
Haiya said the reserve league would also provide continuous development for emerging talent, support clubs in long-term player development and strengthen national team talent identification.
FAM will this season introduce a reserve cup competition ahead of the full implementation of the reserve league in the 2027/28 season.
In the past, reserves or youth teams used to have dedicated leagues under regional leagues.
