A major transformation awaits domestic football as Football Association of Malawi (FAM) plans to revise the calendar so that it aligns with Fifa’s to ensure international matches do not clash with domestic competitions.
FAM competitions subcommittee and other stakeholders, including Super League of Malawi (Sulom), yesterday met in Mangochi, on the proposal which will gradually culminate into the season kicking off in August and concluding in March, according to FAM general secretary Alfred Gunda.
But some TNM Super League clubs have since welcomed the move with reservations, warning FAM that there is need to ensure that match venues are playable in the rainy season.
Currently, the local football season runs from April to December while the off season runs from December to March when the rainy season is at its peak.
Gunda, in an interview, said once the season is aligned with that of Fifa, it will benefit all stakeholders such as clubs and competitions’ organisers by ensuring that players can participate in international matches without compromising their club commitments.
However, Gunda says the alignment will be gradual and may take as long as two seasons to be fully synchronised with Fifa’s.
He said: “This alignment is not something that will happen with a flip of a switch. It might even take two seasons for us to be fully aligned with that of Fifa. We will need a transition period for us to manage a lot of aspects.
“Things might seem as if they are moving slowly, but that’s what it will take for us to fully align with Fifa’s calendar like our colleagues.
“The reason is that there are a lot of things to consider. For example, we have to take into consideration how we will manage local fixtures and international competitions such as the World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers during this transition period.
“During this transition competitions might be switched around in terms of when they will be played, just to ensure that everything is in order.
“For example, this season, the first competition is the Airtel Top 8. Next, we could have another cup competition coming in and the TNM Super League kicking off at a later stage. The league could kick off in April as usual or even later.”
However, the change has once again ignited the challenges of playing in rainy season when most of the football pitches are
not fit to host matches.
TNM Super League champions Silver Strikers, who are expected to participate in CAF Champions League, welcomed the move with reservations.
The Bankers’ chief executive officer (CEO) Patrick Chimimba said: “This decision needs serious consideration looking at how our structures are. It is a positive move as our calendar will be in sync with major football leagues thereby opening opportunities for our players.
“However, we need to consider the conditions of our infrastructure. There was a reason why the current setup made sense. From November to around March, most of our stadiums cannot accommodate football because they become waterlogged, how are we handling that?
“We should also be mindful of not prolonging the football calendar as it has the potential to burn out our players. Already our game has so many cups and international club and national team engagements will stretch the resolve of our players. We just need a balance and not just adopt things for the sake of it.”
Wanderers CEO Panganeni Ndovi also called for FAM to exercise caution when changing the calendar.
He said: “While aligning with the Fifa calendar is a significant step forward for the d e v e l o p m e n t and international integration of our football, it’s crucial that we ensure our infrastructure is responsive to the playing conditions during this period, especially considering the challenges posed by the rainy season.
“Many of our pitches become unplayable due to poor drainage and maintenance, which could severely disrupt fixtures and compromise player safety and the quality of the game.
“As a prospective CAF Confederations C u p representative, we fully support this alignment as it will prevent local fixtures from clashing with international commitments.
“However, this change requires proactive investment in upgrading our stadium infrastructure to meet international standards, with a focus on drainage systems and pitch durability to handle adverse weather conditions.
“In my opinion, while this change is viable in principle, its success will depend heavily on addressing these infrastructural challenges. Otherwise, we risk facing disruptions that could undermine the intended benefits of aligning with the international calendar.”
Bullets, who have been a victim of clashes in local and international fixtures due to the current calendar, also welcomed the change.
The club’s acting CEO Albert Chigoga said: “It’s a move in the right direction. In the past, we were unable even to bring some foreign teams for international friendly matches because of our unparalleled calendar. While the change is ideal, our disadvantage is indeed the weather and the state of our match venues.”
But Gunda said the transition period will look at such challenges and offer solutions.
He said: “That’s why I stressed that this change is not something that can start right away. It’s a process. The transition period will help us look at such challenges and how to come up with solutions, both in short and long term.”
Football analyst Patrick Zgambo said the alignment of the football season was long overdue regardless of the mitigating factors behind the status quo.
He said: “This is long overdue and a necessary step. There was no reason for our season to be parallel with the rest because that did put us at a disadvantage..”
Zgambo further said international transfers will also improve as the transfer window follows international calendar.
But he said FAM should build capacity of stadium owners to ensure their facilities are capable of hosting matches in rainy season.
Once the alignment is completed, Malawi will follow in the footsteps of other members of Cosafa bloc such as South Africa, Botswana and Namibia.
But Malawi’s neighbours Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia, who also have almost same climate, have football seasons that run after the rainy season.
