Football Association of Malawi (FAM) says it is in the process of developing a registration framework to document football academies in the country.
The association says only those that will be registered, starting from 2024 will get support from the football governing body.
FAM Technical Director Benjamin Kumwenda said this on Saturday when he visited Maziko Sports Academy in Zomba where he seized an opportunity to appreciate what the team is doing during training sessions as well as organizational structure of the academy.
Kumwenda told ProjectM that people are establishing sports academies without following proper channels, adding that most of them have not been registered.
‘’I visited Maziko Sports Academy on Saturday last week after being invited by the academy’s officials and as a football governing body, it is important to visit these academies, particularly those in rural areas because we know it is where young talented players are being found. I have seen two key players who need to be nurtured so that they exploit their potential,’’ he said.
Kumwenda, however, appealed to those willing to establish sports academies in the country to further look into various important issues such as qualified coaches, age groups, mission values among others, before establishing their academies.
‘’We would like to develop football in the country and this can only be done if the academies are registered. These academies need to be supported and given guidance because if we do not do that then we are missing certain things for them,’’ Kumwenda has said.
Maziko Sports Academy coach Steve Lukhele said he is honoured by the Technical Director’s visit saying this has helped to expose real talent for Under-14 and 16 boys and girls.
He said Kumwenda’s visit has also shown that he appreciates that FAM is not only interested in scouting talent from town but also rural areas and if given a chance the young players can also contribute positively to sports development in the country.
In his remarks, one of the co-founding members of the academy, Misheck Munthali told ProjectM that despite being in the rural area where they lack exposure to models in football through TV’s as it is the case in urban areas.
The academy has a number of talented players, saying currently a well known sports academy in Lilongwe has expressed interest to offer three girls from the academy for trials.
Munthali has since urged people of goodwill, companies and others to support the academy inorder to fulfill its dream of recruiting young talented players.
Currently, two of Maziko Sports Academy’s products Ndaona Justine and Eshter Tambala are playing for FIFA-FAM Talent Development Scheme in Blantyre and Ascent Academy in Lilongwe, respectively.
During his visit to Maziko Sports Academy Kumwembe donated 6 footballs and K20,000 cash for transporting players to police and Malindi football grounds where they were meeting Kasenda United in the Ntanda league under 14.
