Mighty Wanderers president Thomson Mpinganjira has said his ultimate dream is to turn the Nomads into a giant on the continent.
The business mogul and philanthropist said this in an interview yesterday as the hype builds up for their Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League preliminary round first leg against Simba Sports Club (SC) of Tanzania this Sunday.
Wanderers host the Dar es Salaam-based side at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.
the drive. | Mighty Wanderers
Mpinganjira, who is the club’s main sponsor, said continued participation in CAF tournaments is part of the ambitious drive.
He said: “Football is about winning trophies and leagues and these are our immediate and long-term goals. Our immediate goal is to remain competitive, strengthen the squad and continue improving the professional standards of the club.
“We also want to keep engaging our supporters and give them reasons to believe in the team.”
Mpinganjira said that in the long term, the Nomads’ ambition is to build the club into a modern football institution with strong governance, sustainable revenue streams, youth development structures, improved facilities and a brand that can compete beyond Malawi.
“We want Wanderers to be successful on the pitch and sustainable off it. We want to be a giant of African football and export top quality players and improve the competitiveness of the [Malawi] National Football Team as well,”
The club’s director of football David Kanyenda said in a separate interview that their preparations for the weekend tie are gaining momentum.
He said: “After the Airtel Top 8 final, the focus switches to the continental campaign.
“We respect Simba SC, they are a good side, but we are not scared of them. After all, they finished as runners-up in Tanzania to Young Africans and they are up against the champions.”
