FAM mum on football conference

 Football Association of Malawi (FAM) general secretary Alfred Gunda has kept a tight lid on why they are failing to hold a conference to discuss the poor state of football.

Gunda told The Nation four months ago that they shifted the conference to March this year “to give selected pundits a chance to prepare thoroughly.” But the month has elapsed with nothing on the table.

Initially, the meeting was supposed to be held in October 2018, but it was moved to December after the dates clashed with a Fifa Council meeting in Rwanda, which FAM president Walter Nyamilandu was supposed to attend.

When Nation on Sunday sought his response on the meeting’s continued failure, Gunda said “Let me consult thoroughly, I will revert.” He did not.

The conference was initiated after a group of concerned football fans demanded the removal of Flames coach Ronny van Geneugden (RVG) and the resignation of FAM

leadership.

Soccer analyst George Kaudza Masina, who was called to be one of pundits at the conference, said he is not sure if the meeting will take place.

“This conference is important as it will help shape the future of our football. Hopefully, FAM is on top of things to make sure it happens,” he said.

Nevertheless, an inside source at FAM, who asked for anonymity, said the meeting will not take place since Parliament also summoned the local football governing body over the “deteriorating football standards.”

“There is no need to hold the conference when the issues we were expected to iron out were already discussed at Parliament. Holding the conference now would be like having an out of court settlement after the court has already issued a verdict,” the source said.

One of the concerned football fans leaders Henry Gome said the continued “negligence” over the conference shows FAM’s lack of seriousness and honesty as regards finding solutions to the poor standards of Malawi football.

“We are tired of these lies. There are so many challenges in the country’s football circles and the conference is the best platform for stakeholders to find solutions. We will push them until things get back to order,” he said.

Sponsorship, technical and development are among the thematic areas that FAM arranged to discuss with panellists.

In the past two years, the senior Flames have won only two matches in 21 games and have been booted out of the African Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers while the Under-23 national team has failed to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan