Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has unbundled gate management services in a bid to curb gate fraud that has recently contributed to revenue losses on match days.
Previously, one company, Kwenda.Co, held an exclusive mandate covering ticket production (both electronic and printed), ticket sales and gate management.
But under the new arrangement, FAM will separate these roles and engage different service providers for each function.
This comes weeks after an investigative story published by Weekend Nation, which exposed how a syndicate was producing fake tickets capable of bypassing detection at stadium entry points.
FAM commercial and marketing manager Mayamiko Kafwamba in an interview yesterday confirmed the shift, and said it was prompted by findings highlighted in the Weekend Nation investigation.
“You will recall that in our response to your story questionnaire we mentioned that there are measures that we will take to tackle the gate management problems,” he said.
“In the past, one company was responsible for everything, which we noted as one of the causes of the challenges we experienced. In 2026, it will be different. No one will have exclusive roles.”
Kafwamba said the previous arrangement fell short on checks and balances.
He said: “One cannot produce the tickets, sell the tickets and also manage the gates at the same time. What we are saying is that, you might have a good ticketing system, but it will collapse if you don’t have good gate management.”
FAM has since invited companies and individuals to express interest in providing gate management services.
Successful firms will be responsible for queue management, crowd control, preventing overcrowding, coordinating smooth entry of fans, access control and ticket or pass verification, security screening, turnstile operations, and directing spectators to designated entrances.
Kafwamba said a strict screening process will be applied to ensure only reputable companies are selected.
He said: “That’s why we are saying we need companies that have a valid business registration or incorporation certificate and can demonstrated prior experience in similar contracts, such as managing event logistics, security, or revenue collection at sports venues.
“The companies should also submit a bank statement of not less than three months and have a robust standard operating procedure for staff management, entry/exit control, patrolling, and incident reporting. We want companies that we can trace and make them accountable if something goes wrong.”
He further stressed that multiple companies will be certified, and none will have exclusivity.
He said: “This time the contract has been changed. The successful companies will not have exclusive contracts. We will shortlist. There will be several companies certified to manage the gates. If a company messes up a match, they will not be assigned the next match. This will ensure service delivery.”
FCB Nyasa Bullets chief executive officer Albert Chigoga welcomed the development, saying gate management firms have also contributed to malpractice.
He said: “To begin with, this is a positive step in the right direction in as far as dealing with fraudulent activities is concerned.
“Gate management firms have a share in the malpractice. Hopefully FAM will try to bring sanity and restore confidence.”
