Malawi’s flag carriers at this year’s Confederation of African Football (CAF) club competitions Silver Strikers FC and Mighty Wanderers FC are tight-lipped on budgets associated with their participation.
The 2025/26 CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup competitions first preliminary round legs take place on September 19 and 21, respectively, while second legs are slated between September 26 and 28.
Regulations governing continental competitions demand huge financial injection and according to Football Association of Malawi (FAM), the two teams need not less than K300 million each to meet costs associated with the first and second leg preliminary matches.
Cup games. | Nation
While the two clubs will each receive $100 000 (about K175 million) subvention from CAF, they will each have a shortfall of K125 million from the estimated budget figures for the two games.
The costs to be incurred for air tickets of the delegation mostly ranges from 40 to 45 people at K4 million per person, which comes to K150 million for 45 people apart from other costs to do with accommodation and allowances.
Teams also need to procure equipment on top of being responsible for covering referees’ and match commissioners’ air tickets, accommodation, allowances and local transport as demanded by CAF.
In addition, the two clubs, must remit percentages of gross gate collections to CAF, ranging from five percent in the preliminary stages to as high as 12 percent for the second stage.
So far, the two Malawian teams have managed to finalise registration of their squads ahead of the competitions since the registration window closed on August 31 midnight.
This far Nomads have only roped in Muhammad Sulumba, their former hit-man who returned from Libya.
The Bankers, on the other hand, have only signed one striker, Andrew Joseph, from Chitipa United and have recruited new coach Edson Kadenge.
They have also promoted their reserve players Dumisani Pemba, Sebastian Chinso, Emmanuel Nyakutepa and Innocent Smart.
FAM competitions and communication director Gomezgani Zakazaka confirmed completion of registration by the two teams.
However, when contacted to establish on their financial redness, the two teams could not divulge details associated with their participation ahead of the two CAF matches this month.
Silver Strikers chief executive officer Patrick Chimimba refused to provide the information despite indicating to do so after the draw.
“We had budgeted for these games at the start of the season. As for the estimated budget figure allow me not to answer this one,” said Chimimba.
Nomads chief executive officer Panganeni Ndovie also refused to divulge details pertaining to the budget associated with their participation in the international club competition.
On preparations, he said the team has secured a local friendly match against Civil Service United to be played at Champions Stadium in Mponela, Dowa.
Wanderers coach Bob Mpinganjira said in an interview they settled for Civil after failing to secure foreign team.
“Civil is equally doing well in the TNM Super League, we believe they will give us a good test ahead of our CAF assignments,” he said.
Nomads, who remain the only unbeaten side in the 16-team league, are second with 39 points from 17 games, a point behind their rivals FCB Nyasa Big Bullets while Civil are fifth with 27 points.
Soccer analyst Kelvin Moyo said a lot needs to be done in terms of beefing up squads for the two teams to be ready for such an international stage if they are to compete.
“Teams like South Africa’s reigning Champions Mamelodi Sundowns are scouting for players as far as South America, the same with North African teams such as Al ahly, Zamalek or Wydad Casablanca,” he said.
If successful in the first preliminary round, the Nomads will meet the winner between Zesco United of Zambia and FC 105 Libreville of Gabon in the second round while Silver’s possible opponents in the second round are Bengeula of Angola or Young Africans of Tanzania.
Silver last played in CAF club competitions in the 2019 when they were knocked out by Ambere SC from Gabon in the first preliminary round.
The Nomads, on the other hand, last participated in CAF Championship League in 2018 when they lost to AS Vita Club of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
