Former Football Association of Malawi (FAM) general secretary (GS) Alfred Gunda says he has left FAM with his head held high having set the standards high.
He packed his bags and bid the association farewell on Friday after an eight-year romance as its chief executive officer following the expiry of his contract which will not be renewed.
In an interview yesterday, Gunda, with a boyish grin, said: “As I leave FAM, I am sure I part with a smile on my face, having set standards that are enviable and have put the association an attractive spot that is the pride of football administrators and is making many more want to join and be part of.”
He said the future of Malawi football is bright, “sitting on well-structured systems and a well capacitance team of professionals running the corporate business of the same”.
Said Gunda: “It has been eight years of professional satisfaction and growth.
“My contribution towards a professional and organised association on that grew into an attractive brand whose values and principles of good governance earned the confidence of partners and sponsors for the game.”
The former FAM boss said during his tenure, he led the building of a solid team for quality delivery of football events organisation and commercialisation of football products and breaking revenues records.
“The bold introduction of the Motto brand and Malawi’s own sports apparel is one of the unprecedented innovations that became a signature identity of Malawi at the [delayed] 2022 Afcon [Africa Cup of Nations], our pride as a nation,” he said.
“The technical development pathway that was founded on futuristic objective of youth development whose fruits are evident in our football, are a result of successful project proposals that were realised in the period.”
Gunda further cited capacity building as another area of success.
He said: “The confidence that Fifa has in Malawi as a model association that has led to a number of projects and programmes being piloted here is no mean feat and these include but not limited to Inclusive academy, Football for schools and Women football leadership and talent development.
“Infrastructure development, which has seen the capital value of FAM increase, cannot be overemphasised.”
FAM president Fleetwood Haiya confirmed Gunda’s departure in a separate interview yesterday, saying the recruitment process of the next GS will be finalised next week.
“Let me also put the record straight that under my leadership, we have not fired any management staff as some may have assumed,” he said.
Posting on his Facebook page, FAM executive committee member Chimango Munthali hailed Gunda, saying: “Allow me to express my heartfelt gratitude for your service, commitment, and leadership over the past eight years as CEO of FAM . You deserve respect !
“Your contribution has been deeply impactful, guiding the association through many important moments and laying a foundation that will continue to influence the growth of the game. You served with passion, professionalism, and humility and that will always be remembered.”
