FA Malawi awaits FIFA funding to roll out national U-15 league
The first ever Under 15 national football league for primary schools may roll out in September as schools begin first term in the 2019/2020 academic year.
The league will be administered by the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) in conjunction with the Malawi Schools Sports Association (MASSA).
The league was supposed to begin in January this year but FAM Chief Executive Officer, Alfred Gift Gunda, has told a local radio that FIFA was still reviewing proposals by member associations.
Gunda said FIFA may give its feedback at the end of this month and there is a likelihood that the league may start at the beginning of the next school session in September.
Recently, FIFA President, Gian Infantihno, expressed desire to see the number of teams from the African continent increasing during World Cup tournaments and challenged the continent to have many teams at 2022 and 2026 tournaments.
The global football governing body already conducted refresher courses for 68 youth football coaches in all the regions of the country.
Technical Director for the Botswana Football Association, Serami Letsowaka, who was drilling Malawi youth football coaches in Lilongwe, encouraged FAM to invest in youth football.
“It has been a big challenge because we have not been doing justice to the development of football which is our youth. So the development of youth coaching is quite important,” Letsowaka told Sam Banda of ZBS.
FAM Executive Member, Rashid Mtelera, said this was the only route if Malawi was to have a strong super league and national team.
“This is the way we want to go. It’s our hope that quite a lot of outstanding players will be identified from the districts through this league,” remarked Mtelera.
In the past, football stars like Kinnah Phiri, Peterkins Kayira, Reuben Malola, Young Chimodzi and Mabvuto Lungu, just to mention a few, were identified through school football tournaments.
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