New goals for School football as MASSA gets MK360 Million sponsorship from FDH Bank

On February 19 this year, the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) and the Malawi Schools Sports Association (MASSA) signed a five-year partnership agreement to promote talent from the grassroots across the country. Today, five months later, FAM beams with pride as the vision they cast begins to take shape as MASSA has secured a sponsorship deal with FDH Bank.

A financial injection of K360 million from FDH Bank will support the organization of football tournaments in secondary schools across Malawi over a period of three years. Each year, K120 million will be allocated to facilitate the competition.

This development marks a significant moment, coming nine years after Coca-Cola withdrew its sponsorship of the Coca-Cola Trophy in 2016. FAM President Fleetwood Haiya expressed immense satisfaction with the arrival of FDH Bank’s backing, calling it a prestigious boost to grassroots football.

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“As the Football Association of Malawi, we are very excited about this sponsorship. There was a gap in grassroots football, and we cannot progress without it. Our strategic alliance with MASSA aimed to attract sponsors who could help unearth talent from schools,” explained Haiya.
He further noted that working through MASSA ensures Malawi develops footballers who are complete—players with talent, skill, intelligence, and education.

MASSA President Blackson Malamula also shared his delight in securing the deal, stating that it will help revive sports from the grassroots. He revealed that many students will have the opportunity to participate in the tournament.

“We will start activities in zones, where schools will face each other. The best teams will qualify for the district level, then advance to division level, before reaching the tournament’s climax at national level. We are also pleased that the Ministry of Education encourages all schools to participate in sports activities,” he said.

Malamula further noted that the return of school sports may encourage students who had dropped out to re-enrol, excited by the revival of sporting activities.

FDH Bank’s Senior Marketing and Communication Manager, Ronald Chimchere, said the decision to support MASSA was rooted in the desire to create a smooth transition for players from primary to secondary level, and potentially all the way to the national team.
“For us, it’s about driving Malawi sports forward, and there is no better way than partnering with MASSA,” said Chimchere.

According to the agreement signed in February, FAM committed to providing equipment and technical support to schools, organizing holiday camps to keep players in shape, and ensuring that players remain in school while playing football. Haiya emphasized that the initiative would reduce avoidable costs and make it easier to identify talent eligible for junior national teams.

In turn, MASSA pledged to work with FAM in securing sponsorships and delivering programs that integrate education with sport—a move seen as critical in grooming young talent without compromising academic progress.