Two Northern Region-based women’s football teams MK Academy and Topic Sisters have cast doubt on their participation in the Goshen-FAM National Women’s Championship due to financial constraints.
The tournament will run from March 16 to 22 at Mpira Stadium in Chiwembe Township, Blantyre.
| Courtesy of Gondwe
MK Academy team manager Khumbo Sibale said in an interview that they do not have a sponsor and depend on contributions from well-wishers and club officials.
She said: “ We are very happy that we made the grade to compete at the national championship. Unfortunately, we do not have enough funds to travel to Blantyre to fulfill the fixtures.”
She said the K1.5 million subvention Football Association of Malawi (FAM) offered to each of the qualified teams is not enough to cover return travel costs to Blantyre, food and accommodation.
“Besides that, minibus owners are charging us about K2 million as hiring fees,” said Sibale.
In a separate interview, her Topic Sisters’ counterpart Levi ‘Gonamaso’ Mhone shared similar sentiments , adding that National Women’s Football Association (NWFA) and FAM would have offered teams from the North more subsidy than their Southern and Central region counterparts due to the distance they are supposed to cover.
“Obviously, we would spend more on costs than teams from other regions. We deserve more,” he said.
The two teams have since appealed to NWFA to consider giving them more funds.
Northern Region Women’s Football Association chairperson Ivy Mwafulirwa, confirmed the financial challenges faced by the two teams, saying the situation is a big blow to women’s football in the region.
She has since appealed to well-wishers to support the two clubs.
“Some of the girls are orphans and are not in school due to poverty and this was their chance to showcase their skills and be spotted by other established teams,” said Mwafulirwa.
But NWFA general secretary Lustica Gondwe said they were not aware of the two teams’ predicament.
“It is news to me as none of the teams communicated with the association on the challenges they are facing,” she said.
On his part, FAM second-vice president Lameck Zetu Khonje challenged the two teams to find ways of raising funds for the trip, arguing that nothing comes on a silver platter.
“What have they done after realising they can’t make it?” asked Zetu Khonje.
But both Sibale and Mhone said they have embarked on fundraising initiatives.
MK Academy, who finished second in the North League, have been drawn against reigning national champions Asent Academy in the quarter-finals while Topic Sisters, who were third, will compete in the play-offs.
Moyale Barracks, who emerged champions in the region, is the other team from the North that will take part in the tournament.
Meanwhile, MK academy has appealed to well-wishers to assist them by depositing any amount to the club’s FDH Bank plc account number 1470000362708 or contact their chairperson Chizotera Mkandawire on 0888 507 374 for more details.
