FAM says talent development scheme key to development
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) believes the Fifa-funded Talent Development Scheme (TDS) will help produce high-performing players that will make the Flames a formidable side.
FAM president Walter Nyamilandu said this during the launch of the scheme at Mpira Stadium in Blantyre on Saturday.
He said the national football team will no longer have deficits in terms of physique, height and other important attributes.
Said Nyamilandu: “For a long time we have failed to produce enough complete players for both the national team and clubs to export to top leagues abroad because we lacked players that have various attributes such as good physique, height and skills.
“But with this initiative, we will ably build players that meet all these requirements for both the national team and top leagues abroad.”
Through the scheme, FAM has formed a 27-player squad aged between 15 and 20 with talent identified from 10 Southern Region districts as pilot phase. This will be replicated in the Centre and the North from next year.
The identified players will be brought together for a five-day camping every month to undergo individual and team training before playing friendly games on the final day of each camp.
One of the scheme’s 10 development coaches Joy Khakona said they are happy that they will be having frequent camps tofamiliarise with the coaching philosophy imparted in the players.
During the launch game, the development team lost 1-0 to Namiwawa FC.
The TDS, a brainchild of Fifa chief of global football development and former English Premiership outfit Arsenal FC manager Arsene Wenger, aims at harmonising football developments across the 211-member associations of the world football governing body.
Malawi is the first country in Africa that received $50 000 (about K51.5 million) from Fifa to implement the project on a pilot phase last year.
