No Chan for Flames
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has announced that the Flames will not take part in the 2024 CAF African Nations Championship (Chan) which kicks off next month due to financial problems.
FAM president Walter Nyamilandu said yesterday the association is struggling financially and cannot fund the Flames to participate in all competitions.
FAM exhausted its 2023/24 funding and, according to the FAM boss, participating in the competition, which is for local league players only, was out of question.
He said: “FAM regrets to advise that it has not registered to participate in the Chan tournament, which is starting in September due to financial constraints.
“The programme of our various national teams is crammed due to a series of international tournaments that will see the Flames participating in the World Cup qualifiers and fulfilling its last Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Guinea.”
Nyamilandu said apart from the Flames, there are also the women’s national football team, the Scorchers’ assignments.
He said: “In addition, the Scorchers are also expected to participate in the Cosafa Women’s Championship in September, yet we do not have any secure funding for this programme.
“As a result, we have decided to forego the Chan tournament in order to manage the financial pressure that has taken its toll.”
The development comes after interim coach Patrick Mabedi pleaded with FAM to ensure it keeps active the team of predominantly local players that participated at the recent 2023 Cosafa Cup in Durban, South Africaa where it finished fourth.
Mabedi was not available for comment but after the tournament, the tactician urged FAM to ensure the players are kept active by participating in competitions such as the Chan.
Nyamilandu said the failure to participate in the Chan competition is a big set back.
“This is obviously a lost opportunity, but we are left with no choice but to bite the bullet to avoid going into bankruptcy,” he said.
FAM already warned that the national team risks pulling out of some competitions in the absence of extra funding from government through Malawi National Council of Sports.
Sports spokesperson Edgar Ntulumbwa in an interview yesterday said it is considering the association’s request of extra K1.2 billion funding for the national teams activities.
He said: They have written to us requesting K1.2 billion and their request is being looked into.”
Malawi has never qualified for the Chan tournament which was introduced in 2007 to promote local players.
Last year, Mozambique booted them out of the tournament.
