Chakwera receives a gift from FAM president Walter Nyamilandu
* You should aim for something that has never happened before
* Qualification proves wrong sceptics who were labelling the Flames as underdogs
* FAM has plans of continuing participation in international tournaments—Nyamilandu
* There is need to change the model which government currently uses to fund FAM
By Yamikani Sabola, MANA & Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express
President Lazarus Chakwera has urged Malawi national football team to participate at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon next year with a determination to leave a lasting mark.
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Speaking in Lilongwe on Thursday when he hosted the Flames players at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe to congratulate them on their qualifying for the AFCON, Chakwera said the players should go to Cameroon to demonstrate they are capable of doing well in any football competition.
The Flames qualified for their third AFCON finals after beating Uganda 1-0 at Kamuzu Stadium on Monday, a feat that came on the assumption that the Cranes would carry the day since they only needed a draw.
President Chakwera said the players had done the nation proud, saying they proved wrong sceptics who were labelling the Flames as underdogs ahead of the decisive match with Uganda Cranes.
“It is not enough to aim for goals because you have been scoring goals before,” said the President on the Flames previous outings in which they did not go beyond the group stages.
In their first outing in in 1984 which were held in Côte d’Ivoire, they made a huge impression when the led 2-0 against Nigeria but the game ended 2-2 but lost the other matches.
Meke Mwase becomes third local coach to take
the Flames to AFCON
In 2010 they stirred the excitement of the opening games when they beat Algeria 3-0 but also lost the consequent matches.
“You should aim for something that has never happened before,” Chakwera said.
He also took cognizance of the need to start identifying football talent among the youth and nurture them to become great footballers that would build a formidable team in future.
He expressed disappointment that physical education (P.E) was no longer being taught in public primary schools, in total acknowledgment that the subject was very critical as it used to help children develop interest in various sporting disciplines as well as improving their physical abilities.
Coronavirus alert
In his remarks, Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president Walter Nyamilandu said there was need to change the model which government currently uses to fund the association.
He proposed that the Treasury should be funding it directly unlike the current model where funds are channelled through the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
“The AFCON qualification has given us great momentum. Our desire is to build on this momentum to participate in more international tournaments.
“However, for this to happen, we need more funding,” he said.
The support from government that Nyamilandu is asking can best be amplified based on the programmes that government of Uganda heaps on the Cranes.
While this was a huge disappointment for the Cranes, its government reportedly gave huge support to the team, which assisted it to qualify for the AFCON in 2017 after a 39-year absence.
FUFA executive committee member Rogers
Mulindwa
Executive member of the Uganda Football Association (FUFA) Rogers Mulindwa told boxscorenews.com last month that their government gave them the means to build a strong team by funding it as well funding youth development programmes.
This was beside the Cranes having three main sponsors. Mulindwa said they failed to qualify for the AFCON from 1978 — when they reached the final against hosts Ghana — because of the year they had not had the chance to experience real stability in their football management.
But once the government started giving Uganda special attention, they were at the AFCON in 2017 and 2019 AFCON as well as the African Nations Championship (CHAN) finals in 2018 and 2020.
The younger Flames generation
The Flames have never qualified for the CHAN, which is a tournament set aside only for domestic league players.
Mulindwa added that the launching of a junior league and inter-school competitions played a role in Ugandan football revival.
“A junior league was launched across the country, and all elite teams were obliged to have a junior team,” he told boxscorenews.com.
“Most of the squad that reached this Under-20 2021 AFCON finals [in Mauritania] were selected from these youth teams,” said Mulindwa, adding that an inter-school competition throughout Uganda — providing sponsors to it and substantial contribution from the state in recent years also made the difference.
Savouring the moment
Meanwhile, the Flames captain, John Banda asked Chakwera if the government could consider introducing soft loans for players to help them venture into businesses.
He said the players needed additional means of earning income in preparation for their retirement, saying it was sad that most former players who contributed a lot to the national team are now in dire poverty.
