Football Association of Malawi (FAM) says the 2025 season will kick off much earlier with the Airtel Top 8 setting the pace immediately after the traditional Charity Shield.
The association’s president Fleetwood Haiya said this on Saturday at the end of the domestic elite football season with the Castel Challenge Cup final between Mighty Mukuru Wanderers and Mzuzu City Hammers.
“The plan is that we’ll have a departure of the Airtel Top 8 being played towards the end of the season… The reason the competition started late was because we were waiting for the sponsor,” he said.
“Now that the top eight teams are known, we’ll start with the tournament and then the [TNM] Super League will kick off in March.”
Haiya said this means that the players will have a month’s rest before starting pre-season with their respective teams.
But the FAM boss could not comment on the exact timeframe of the Airtel Top 8.
Clubs that The Nation spoke to said they have no problems with the season kicking off earlier, but said there is need to be cautious on the players’ physical condition to avoid burnout.
In an interview, Mighty Mukuru Wanderers chief executive officer (CEO) Panganeni Ndovi said: “Well, we had a congestion of fixtures and competitions in the just-ended season. So, it makes sense to kick off a little earlier next season to allow clubs to have ample time to prepare in between matches.
“This is a welcome idea, but it would have been better to start with the league rather than cup games.
“There is also need to be cautious on Players’ condition, having played too many games within a short period of time [this season].
“Therefore, with proper resting time, we believe we will manage the player’s conditions towards their health unlike when teams struggled to rest their key players.”
On his part, Bullets acting CEO Albert Chigoga said: “It makes sense to start the season early bearing in mind a number of competitions we have in the country. While the president’s idea is worthwhile, practically it means that duty bearers are supposed to start the ground work early towards the kick off.”
On the other hand, Mzuzu City Hammers patron Gift Mkandawire said: “As much as change is difficult to take, during the first implementation year it will have a huge impact on managing fatigue.
“But I believe the intention of marrying international calendars is a good thing. We sometimes have problems selling our players abroad due to calendar differences. So, it will be painful to do so this year, but good for the future.”
Football Players Association said they also have no problems with the proposed kick off period for next season.
The association’s general secretary Ernest Mangani said: “The recommended rest period for professional football players after a season is a minimum of five weeks, but ideally around four to six weeks of complete rest and similar period of preparation and training before the new season.
“This allows players to recover physically and mentally, reducing the risk of injuries and burnout.”
He said FIFPro emphasises the importance of adequate rest and preparation periods, suggesting that players need time to recharge and prepare for a new upcoming season. This is crucial for maintaining player health and well-being, as well as ensuring optimal performance on the field.
“It’s worth noting that Fifa is also exploring options to overhaul the football calendar, including mandatory rest and preparation periods, to reduce player workload and prevent fatigue,” he said.
When contacted yesterday, football analyst Charles Nyirenda said would he could not comment much in the absence of an official statement.
He said: “As you know, Sulom [Super League of Malawi] runs the Super League and we don’t know yet what they will say.
“Ideally, we would expect the Sulom executive committee to meet and review how the season went and figure out what to do to improve things in the coming season.
“In addition to that, a clear calendar of events has to be formulated so that teams can prepare properly for the 2025 season.“
Nyirenda further said all stakeholders need to agree on what is the ideal time for players to rest.
“In Europe, league activities conclude in May and players rest the entire June before resuming training in early July with preseason activities and then in the first and third quarter of August to mid-August, the league starts off,” he said.
