The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) says that the mandatory establishment of women’s teams by elite men’s football clubs in the Super League has played a pivotal role in the Malawi Women’s National Team’s historic qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Addressing participants at a two-day Club Licensing workshop for the country’s top-flight clubs at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe, FAM First Vice President Christopher Madalitso Kuyera highlighted the impact of the licensing requirement that links women’s and youth teams to elite men’s clubs.
Club licensing now obliges all TNM Super League clubs, such as FCB Nyasa Big Bullets, Mighty Wanderers, Silver Strikers, Kamuzu Barracks, and others competing at the top tier of Malawian football, to field both youth and women’s sides as part of their compliance criteria.
“Every elite league club must have a women’s team, and this has built a strong base for the women’s league,” said Kuyera, noting that this structural change has contributed to improved development pathways and helped Malawi secure qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations. “These are some of the fruits of club licensing.”
Kuyera said club licensing, first introduced in Malawi in 2014, has gained momentum in recent years, with clubs increasingly embracing professional standards across sporting, infrastructure, personnel, and administrative areas.
Representatives from all 16 top-flight clubs are attending the workshop, aimed at reinforcing compliance and enhancing professionalism in domestic football.
Ekhaya FC Chief Executive Officer Thando Mhango said the licensing framework’s emphasis on women’s and youth teams has opened avenues for female players to enter national team programs, something his club views as a major advantage.
“This requirement has created opportunities for our women players to be noticed at the national level,” said Mhango. “Without a mandate for women’s teams, many of these pathways might not exist.”
He added that his club will continue investing in its women’s and youth teams to strengthen development and performance in the coming seasons.
