The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has embarked on a landmark initiative to cultivate a secure and welcoming atmosphere at all football events across the nation, hosting a three-day CAF Safety & Security training session in Lilongwe.
This pioneering workshop, described as a “historic moment” by FAM Vice-President Christopher Madalitso Kuyera, aims to embed a robust culture of safety and security within Malawian football.
The official opening ceremony on Tuesday morning saw Kuyera underscore FAM’s unwavering commitment to ensuring “zero deaths and zero violence” at all football matches. “The safety of every individual attending a football event is non-negotiable — every life matters and that is why ensuring safety and security remains at the heart of our operations,” he asserted.
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This training session follows last year’s successful Stewards Trainer-of-Trainers Workshop, fulfilling a firm commitment made by FAM to enhance safety protocols. “The primary objective of this workshop is to standardise safety and security procedures across our football ecosystem and enhance the capabilities of our personnel tasked with delivering secure matchday operations,” Kuyera explained.
A key focus of the initiative is to significantly improve the fan experience, a core element of modern football. Kuyera emphasized the importance of balancing stringent security measures with fan enjoyment, stating, “Our goal is to make football events both safe and enjoyable.” He passionately advocated for “championing safe stadiums, because football should be a family affair — where people can bring their children, friends, and loved ones without fear.”
The workshop, facilitated by CAF Safety Officer Xolile Vilakati and CAF Safety & Security Instructor Dixon Okello, will equip Malawi’s football security officers with the latest tools, techniques, and protocols for effective safety management at both club and national levels. Kuyera expressed confidence that participants will emerge with “enhanced skills and knowledge that will elevate our matchday safety operations.”
He further commended FAM’s leadership for prioritizing safety and security and urged all stakeholders to “embrace this opportunity to build stronger networks and share experiences that will improve matchday safety across the board.”
Reflecting on past incidents, Kuyera stressed, “As we all know, in the past, lapses in safety and security have led to unfortunate incidents — including tragedies and abandoned matches.
These must never be repeated.” He encouraged full engagement from participants to implement the learnings practically and “bring real change to our stadium environments.”
FAM expressed sincere gratitude to CAF for dispatching seasoned experts to train the designated club safety and security officers.
Addressing the CAF instructors, Kuyera stated, “The responsibility you carry over the next three days is critical. You are laying the foundation for a safer, more resilient football ecosystem in Malawi. Through your guidance, we are confident that Malawi can attain excellence in safety and security management.”
Echoing Kuyera’s sentiments, CAF Safety Officer Xolile Vilakati stressed the imperative of creating safer stadium environments, emphatically stating that football venues are not “war zones.”
“A stadium is where people should have enjoyment, where they are assured they can bring along their families with a promise that they will be in a safe environment,” she remarked. “A parent should be able to bring their young child, who might be interested in football, so we don’t want parents to be scared of bringing their children because they are not sure if their security and safety.”
Vilakati also highlighted a crucial aspect of the workshop: encouraging football authorities to rely less on police services for in-stadium security and more on stewards and private security firms. These personnel, she explained, are being trained to treat fans as customers, providing them with the customer care they deserve.
“It is important to use stewards because they act proactively since they are being trained in customer care and we should also use private security aligned with football stadium environment,” Vilakati explained.
She clarified that while police should be utilized, their mandate lies primarily on the outskirts of the stadium, managing public order sectors such as traffic. “Let’s minimize their scope of work by using stewards at the stadium, we should allow police officers to spend many hours at one football place instead of dealing with other pressing public security matters,” she concluded.
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