Nkata blasts ‘loud misogyny’ in Malawi football power structure

Social commentator and former Malawi representative at Big Brother Africa, Fatima Nkata, has weighed in on the ongoing debate surrounding the departure of Women’s Football Association (NWFA) president Adelaide Migogo from Morocco, arguing that the controversy has exposed deeper structural inequalities in the administration of women’s football.

In a strongly worded Facebook post, Nkata said the public discussion around whether Migogo left Morocco voluntarily, was recalled, or followed an agreed itinerary had overshadowed what she described as the “loud misogyny” embedded in football governance.

Nkata said that while the NWFA is led by a seven‑member executive comprising six women and one man, the balance shifts dramatically at the level of the Football Association of Malawi (FAM), the body with ultimate authority over football in the country.

She noted that the FAM Executive Committee is made up of eight men and two women, with all top leadership positions — president, first vice‑president and second vice‑president — held by men.

“You start at 6–1 women and arrive upstairs at 8–2 men,” she wrote, adding that the gender imbalance becomes more pronounced “as you climb the administrative ladder”.

Nkata argued that the achievements of the Scorchers, who have outperformed their male counterparts in recent years, make the lack of women in senior football governance even more striking.

She said the team’s success should prompt a broader conversation about representation and decision‑making power.

“Putting women on a football pitch is not, by itself, women’s empowerment,” she said. “Representation has to travel upstairs too.”

While acknowledging that Migogo may not have been forced to leave Morocco, Nkata said the focus should shift from the circumstances of her departure to the structural issues that shape women’s football administration.

After outlining her critique, Nkata ended her post with a satirical declaration of her candidacy for FAM president, saying she was running “on the strength of impeccable football credentials”, including founding the Namasina Football League and the Ana A M’mudzi Junior League.