Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has urged the Nsanje District Council to ensure that the rehabilitated Nsanje Youth Centre is maintained and further developed for its longevity and continuous use for elite Competitions.
FAM President Fleetwood Haiya made the remarks when he inaugurated the facility on Friday.
The project has been upgraded using the FIFA Foundation fund to the tune of $ 500,000 in response to the effects of Cyclone Idai in 2019.
Haiya said: “As we are handing over the facility, we plead with the Council to ensure that it is maintained and developed further. The plan we did is comprehensive for a fully-fledged stadium, and the agreement was that the Council would continue to upgrade the facility up until it is a full stadium
” To the people of Nsanje, this is your facility. Let us protect it. Let us safeguard it. Most facilities in the country are in bad shape because they were vandalized immediately after being inaugurated. We do not want to see that happen to this facility, ” he said.
Haiya believes the coming in of the facility will foster and make FAM realise its dream of identifying and developing talent from rural areas.
” Let me applaud the FAM executive committee for ensuring we completed the facility. As you are aware, this project could have been completed in 2023 before actually coming into office, but we made a bold decision to ensure it is completed ”.
” We believe that football should start from the lower level. We need to start the beautiful game in the zones and districts before we talk of the national level. The facility is going to foster and realize our dream by making sure that the coaches identify talent in the
area” he added.
Nsanje District Council official Mike Kafalaji commended FIFA and FAM for constructing the facility in the area.
“We will make sure the facility is maintained, and the council will use the budget that they have submitted to continue upgrading, starting with the construction of stands,” said Kafalajira.
Deputy Director of Sports at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Kinnah Phiri, has hailed FIFA and FAM for handing over the facility.
‘It’s a very beautiful facility, and we have seen the talent; if people from Nsanje should come together and form a strong team, they will benefit a lot from the facility “, Saïd Phiri.
Among others, FAM has constructed a modern playing pitch, a wall fence, a VIP stand, dressing rooms, and sanitary facilities.
The event was spiced up by a football match between Umodzi and Nsanje Medicals, in which the Umodzi won 1-0.
Source: FAM
