Football Association of Malawi (FAM) says one of its goals for 2025 is to ensure that national teams take part in all international tournaments.
The association’s president Fleetwood Haiya said this on Saturday evening in Lilongwe during a cocktail party to celebrate the executive committee clocking a year in office.
The commitment comes after failure to take part in some major tournaments such as the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and the 2024 Paris Olympics Qualifiers by the Scorchers under the previous administration, which recently drew the frustration of US-based Malawi Women’s National Football Team forward Temwa Chawinga.
The Flames also did not take part in the 2024 Africa Nations Championship (Chan).
Haiya said they also plan to hire permanent coaches for all national teams.
“This does not apply to the Flames only, but all the other national teams,” he said.
The other technical areas targeted for implementation are developing a national football philosophy and Confederation of African Football (CAF) A coaching course syllabus, licensing football academies and establishing schools of excellence in partnership with the Malawi Schools Sports Association.
The FAM boss added that attachment of coaches to foreign clubs, academies and associations will also be a priority.
Expounding on this, FAM competitions and communications director Gomezgani Zakazaka in an interview yesterday said: “The attachment will be to any football establishments where our coaches will acquire more knowledge.”
On competitions, Haiya said among others, FAM will embark on national calendar switch and rolling out the NBS Bank plc-sponsored National Division League (NDL).
On governance, the association wants to reorganise women’s football structure, establish regional offices for member associations, facilitate elective general assemblies for its affiliates and introduce club licensing for NDL, women’s and regional leagues.
Haiya further said FAM plans to rehabilitate Mpira and Chilomoni stadiums as well as host its first-ever awards.
Acquiring technical merchandise partner and reviewing Mpira TV setup, targeting a 133 percent revenue increase are also among the plans.
Zakazaka said they are hopeful of implementing the projects through their commercial and marketing drives.
FAM also wants to step up its bid to push for direct funding for national teams.
On this, Parliamentary Committee for Social and Community Affairs Savel Kafwafwa said they will support the association’s bid.
He said: “As a committee, we are together with FAM in that concept because looking at their budget, they need an independent budget line.
“For instance, last year, they submitted a budget of K5 million and they were only allocated K500 million.”
