* They were already out of contention having lost to South Africa and Madagascar in the first two matches
* Hat-trick from Jean Fyson and one each from Victoria Mkwala, Talandira Chinyamvula and Asimenye Mwanyongo
* The boys side also out after losing their final group match against draws Lesotho having drawn against Mozambique and Angola in their first two matches
Maravi Express
Jean Fyson scored a hat-trick (7′, 30′, 84′) and each by Victoria Mkwala (5′), Talandira Chinyamvula (22′) and Asimenye Mwanyongo (45′) for Malawi U17 girls to beat Namibia 6-1 on Monday in the COSAFA Girls Under 17 tournament — their only win at group stage of the tournament.
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The girls were playing for pride as they were already out of contention for a place in the knockout stages after losing to South Africa and Madagascar in the first two matches.
Faluna Umali was named player of the match after the game. Coach Linda Kasenda hailed the girls for the good show in the last match: “We knew that we were already out of the tournament but we told the girls to play for their pride so that we at least go home with a win and the girls played according to instructions from the first whistle.
“We built from the back and created a lot of chances which the girls utilised and scored goals. There was much improvement in the girls today as compared to the previous two games because they wanted to go home with something to show”, Kasenda told Fam.mw.
Player of the Match, Faluna Umali
Meanwhile, the U17 Boys team are also out of the U17 Africa Cup of Nations-COSAFA qualifier following a 3-2 loss to Lesotho on Sunday afternoon — finishing at the bottom of their group with just two points following draws against Mozambique and Angola in their first two matches.
Coach Enos Chatama side conceded an early goal when Thuto Khetsi scored from a direct freekick just six minutes into the match, a ball which goalkeeper Geoffrey Gama almost saved but it slipped off his hands.
Malawi could have equalised six minutes later when Clifford Chisale’s cross from a Geoffrey Chinyama pass hit the crossbar and bounced on the line.
Though Malawi were strong in the midfield and attack where James Lumbe and Moffat Mnyontho kept on giving pressure to the defence, the team was not lucky enough.
Lesotho’s Rethabile Nqoko doubled the lead at 27 minutes before Lumbe pulled one back goal at 41 minutes.
A lot of chances were created by Malawi in the second half but just like in the previous two games against Mozambique and Angola, the boys could not take them. Nine minutes into second half Rethabile registered his brace through a header.
Yusufu’s Nantunga’s spot kick at 79 minutes was not enough and the boys knew that they needed another goal to at least savage a point from the match but still, the team failed to utilise the chances and it ended 2-3 to Lesotho.
Coach Chatama said they did not defend well as they gave away cheap goals: “We wanted to win the game at all cost but we started very slow in all the departments hence the conceding so early.
“The boys didn’t defend very well in the wide areas, there was no communication between the goalkeeper and his defence and we ended up going down by two goals.
“We piled more pressure on Lesotho and we had a lot of chances but failed to score and the team was not balanced today. We didn’t have our wings back because one was serving a red card and the other one is injured so we shifted players to play at the back and it was hard for them,” he said.
Talking about lesson drawn from the tournament, Chatama said the team needs to have more good players from all department so that it is balanced when one misses match.
The team has left for home by road
“The team looks good in other departments and as we go back home we have learnt that we need to prepare the team in all departments so that they build from the back.
“We need to have a strong defence to avoid conceding easy goals like what happened to us this time.
“We, at least, had a good midfield and attackers but we were not defending very well in set pieces and cross balls. We have learnt that when going to a tournament, we need to have many good players so that when others are out, we don’t miss them but today, missing three players with two sick and one serving,” he said.
Such exposure at junior level is what Football Association of Malawi (FAM) is strategising on as said by president, Fleetwood Haiya on Saturday during the budget consultation meeting with Member Associations at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.
In a statement, Haiya is quoted as saying youth development and national team participation are the main focus in the first year of the associations’ 2024-2034 strategic plan implementation, adding that “all the national teams are expected to be in action next year with the women’s national team return to the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers being the main highlight”.
“Previously these meetings were being held while the financial year had started but I promised that from now onwards, we do it before we start the year and I am happy that has been achieved.
“We are targeting grassroots football so much as such we have heavily invested in this area of our game, we have also targeted referees and coaches’ education among other things.
“We plan on participating in 13 competitions for the national teams in 2025 including continued funding of all 10 leagues that FAM funded in the year 2024,” Haiya reported.
FAM further reports that it has applied for 15 FIFA projects which, if approved in total, will bring MK3 billion in revenue to the association to help develop the game at the grassroots level with both boys and girls targeted.
Over 400 million has been allocated for U-16 FAM girls and boys football development and Haiya also announced that new national team merchandise is coming in the new year and stock will be on the market from January 2025.
At the meeting, FAM announced a 50% increase of the annual subvention it gives to its 10 affiliates K20 million to K30 million and this was after FAM had presented a K12.4 billion revenue budget for 2025 with main focus on youth development and national teams’ participation.
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The budget is a 72% increase from the K7.2 billion which was tabled in 2024 projections to spend K11.6 billion in several activities for the transformation of the game.
In its statement, FAM indicates that the budget highlighted six key areas where funding will be sourced to bring it to life such as FIFA, Malawi Government, CAF, sale of merchandise, TV & broadcasting rights and sponsorship partnership with the corporate world.
FAM is expected to get K700 million from CAF, K3.4 billion from the government, K3 billion from FIFA projects and the rest from FIFA forward operations funds, sponsorships, replica sales and other FAM business ventures.
Despite the increased annual subvention, FAM has further challenged the Member Associations to source extra sponsorship to cater for their various activities.—Content by Fam.mw; edited by Maravi Express
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