The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) President Walter Nyamilandu Manda says though football has been raised to the bar, the game is still facing enormous challenges ranging from resources and minor friction within the football organizations.
Nyamilandu Manda was speaking on Saturday in Nkhata-Bay during the Ordinary General Assembly which is an august House for the FAM. He themed; “Raising the Bar of Football to a new dimension amidst the storms’.
He lauded several strides that the association has achieved under his leadership such as the growth of women football and the qualifications of Scorchers to the finals of COSAFA Cup in 2022 where they earned silver medal, the Beach Soccer that qualified for the AFCON Beach Soccer Championship in Tanzania and it has soared on the rankings from 102 to 56 in the world and that is not mean achievement.
He has also touted the Youth Football in the country though it has no sponsorship but with FIFA Forward funding, things are promising.
He talked also about the Talent Development Scheme which has been structured at identifying and grooming exceptional talents in country, the Well Being of players has also being highlighted as one of the best initiatives as more clubs are now enforcing Club Licensing which has seen Super League players receiving appropriate treatment from their clubs among other achievements.
However, Walter expressed worry the salvo which is between FAM and Super League of Malawi (SULOM) that it is retarding the development of football in the country.
“Progress on TV broadcasting and gate ticketing still remains a challenge. Sadly, and as we are all aware, this is due in part to resistance to change in some quarters and misunderstandings between FAM and SULOM.
“I am particularly concerned that the lack of a good working relationship between FAM and SULOM is coming at a heavy price. We must resolve this for the greater cause of football in Malawi.”
Nyamilandu Manda also touched on the issue of match fixing saying it is an evil that scares potential investors.
He said: “I need to say that we know that there are cartels in football that thrive on fixing matches. Some of those that drive these cartels are among us here, serving the game of football with no intentions of advancing the game. This immoral conduct must stop. It is detrimental to football because it discourages investors and frustrates players and officials alike,” Walter said.
In his closing remarks the FAM boss said though Flames have failed to qualify for the AFCON next year, Malawians must not lose heart as mechanisms have been put in place to ensuring that next time, the team qualifies.
“The road has been treacherous. It has been littered by economic meltdown triggered by a number of of disasters such as COVID-19. cholera and Cyclones yet we have been able to attain lots of milestones with meagre resources and in challenging circumstances.
“We have withstood shocks and storms, negativity and adversity not just because of our genuine passion for the game but because our game is built on well entrenched structures and robust systems” said Walter.
