Poor administration blamed for Malawi’s low football standards

At the heart of sentiments that Malawi’s football standards are little by little dwindling, a sports journalist has said poor football administration is the main driving force behind the trend.

The journalist say this is despite the corporate world coming in to sponsor the game of football.

“In terms of the corporate coming in to support football Malawi as a country we are making strides, but this is not complemented with proper structures due to poor administration,” argues Deitrich Frederich a sports journalist working with privately owned MIJ FM radio in Blantyre.

True to this fact the corporate world is indeed coming in to support Malawi football.

Just recently Airtel Malawi came in with a cup which will be played by 8 top Tnm Super League clubs.

The Airtel Top 8 cup will be the fourth major competition that will be played in Malawi after the Tnm Super League, Fisd Challenge cup and the Carlsberg cup.

But what should be done for these cups to help in developing football in the country?

Freiderich said there is need for the Malawi FA and the corporate world to put a clear outline of the way the game of football should be run so that the standard of football should go up.

He added that the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) and the corporate world should work together.

“FAM and the corporate world should be able to work together because lack of coherence is defeating the whole purpose of improving the standards of football,” he said.

According to Frederich, Malawi National team is not benefiting from the competitions which are in the country because the players are not identified and managed.

“The team which is currently in camp is not a true reflection of the best players we have locally. The players that were supposed to be playing for the team now are nowhere to be seen,” he said.

Last time the Malawi National team appeared in a continental showpiece was in 2010 and a lot of sports analysts and journalists have blamed poor football administration as the number one cause for the Flames not to be qualifying for the African Cup of Nations cup (AFCON) for the past 7 years.