FAM says Cosafa was fruitful for Flames, happy with performance

The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has come to the defense of the Malawi National Football Team, the Flames, despite their early exit from the recent COSAFA Cup.

The Flames finished bottom of Group B, losing two of their three matches and failing to score a single goal, prompting frustration among Malawian football fans.

MORE NEWS FROM WAMPIRA

However, FAM President Fleetwood Haiya expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, stating that the primary objective was not to win the tournament but to blood young talent.

“We are happy with the performance of the team at COSAFA this year,” Haiya said. “We didn’t go to South Africa to win the tournament. Our main target was to give a chance to young talent as we embark on building a new team for the future. Using that tournament, we have identified about eight players who can be the future of our national team.”

Haiya acknowledged the widespread disappointment among the football fraternity but appealed for patience, emphasizing FAM’s long-term vision, he made the statement on Wednesday evening during the unveiling ceremony of NBM sponsorship package towards Sports.

“At Football Association of Malawi, we have a 10-year strategic plan. We understand that Malawians want results immediately, but in our strategic plan, we planned on what we want to achieve on a daily, weekly, monthly, and annually basis,” he explained.

He particularly highlighted the crucial role of grassroots football, an area set to benefit significantly from a new sponsorship deal with National Bank.

“The sponsorship is also going to grassroots football. In our strategic plan, grassroots football is key because we noted that there is a gap. There have been issues of shortcuts, where we think that we can just have a team today and win COSAFA, but in football, there is no shortcut, same as any other investment.”

Former Malawi National Football Team Coach and prolific striker, Kinah Phiri, however, voiced strong concerns over the lack of a proper structure in Malawian player development, which he believes contributes to the national team’s struggles.

“We have good players but we need to have more academies,” Phiri told Times Radio. “Nowadays, players are starting playing for the National Team and Super League when they have already reached their peak.” He stressed the importance of grooming players from a young age to ensure they reach their full potential before hitting the national stage.

Echoing Phiri’s sentiments, Flames Assistant Coach Peter Mponda also acknowledged the team’s struggles with goal-scoring, despite otherwise positive performances in the tournament.

Despite the disappointing results, Mponda focused on the positives, particularly the invaluable experience and exposure gained by the younger members of the squad.

“It was a good tournament, especially since we have a new team and we are still building it. It really gave us the feeling of how it is out there and exposure to the young lads that are coming,” he explained.