FAM explains Nyamilandu’s Charity Shield absence

FAM says its president Walter Nyamilandu missed Sunday’s Charity Shield match at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe because he was away in South Africa for the CAF Schools Championship.

Speculation was rife that Nyamilandu missed the event because he feared there would be protests from some fans as was the case during the recent 2023 Africa Cup of Nations’ qualifier against Egypt at the same venue when they displayed banners calling for his resignation.

But in an interview yesterday, Football Association of Malawi (FAM) competitions and communications director Gomezgani Zakazaka said Nyamilandu was in Durban where he represented Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (Cosafa) at the inaugural continental schools tournament.

He said: “The truth of the matter is that he was assigned by Cosafa to represent the bloc at the competition.

“He was ably represented by the vice-president Jabbar Alide.

“So, there was nothing that prevented him from attending the event other than that.”

Before the match, FAM said it would not tolerate displays of placards against Nyamilandu.

Last week, FAM and Nyamilandu said the protesters had sinister motives and linked the protests to the FAM executive committee elections scheduled for December.

But one of the protesters, Stone Mwamadi, said he was only exercising his right as a citizen. “Protests are held elsewhere and there was nothing wrong with us voicing out,” he said.

Nyamilandu, who has been at the helm of FAM for 19 years, is yet to state his position on whether he will seek a sixth term during FAM elections in December  this year.