Mpinganjira splashes out K15 million on match ball and tracksuit at glittering charity gala

Mighty Wanderers FC president Thom Mpinganjira dug deep into his pockets on Saturday night, forking out K15 million for a single match ball and a further K7 million for a newly released tracksuit, as he threw his weight behind a glitzy fundraising gala for retired footballers.

The eye-watering purchases were made at the Football Legends Association (FLA) Fundraising Gala Night, held at the Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe, where football’s great and good gathered for a red carpet evening in aid of the organisation’s welfare fund.

Among those rubbing shoulders at the star-studded event was Sports Minister Alfred Gangata, who joined Mpinganjira and other high-profile figures from Malawi’s football fraternity for a night described by organisers as one of glamour, generosity and giving back.

The FLA is hoping the gala will help push its fundraising total beyond K250 million, with the cash earmarked for player welfare schemes, skills and business development programmes, and medical support for former footballers who once graced the game.

The evening also saw organisers pay tribute to the Scorchers, Malawi’s Women’s National Football Team, honouring their stellar run to the final of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco — a campaign that ended in heartbreak as runners-up but cemented their status as national heroes.