* The Frenchman Yvon Avry brings a wealth of international experience as a UEFA-qualified educator, a former FIFA Technical Consultant and Instructor, and a mentor who has shaped coaching systems in various countries
* He has served as a FIFA Technical Consultant and Instructor, Technical Director of Brunei Darussalam, and Technical Advisor for the Fédération Malagasy de Football — today, he becomes part of the Malawi football family
By Duncan Mlanjira
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has today unveiled its new Technical Director, Frenchman Yvon Avry, who has been welcomed with confidence and high expectations as he is expected to add enormous value as the association builds a football ecosystem that is modern, competitive and sustainable.
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Unveiled by FAM President, Fleetwood Haiya, the Frenchman brings a wealth of international experience as a UEFA-qualified educator, a former FIFA Technical Consultant and Instructor, and a mentor “who has shaped coaching systems in various countries”.
Haiya highlighted that under Avry’s leadership, FAM will:
• Strengthen CAF and FIFA-aligned coaching courses;
• Expand FAM’s coaching programmes in all regions;
• Introduce continuous professional development;
• Ensure more women participate in coaching; and
• Professionalise FAM’s coaching structures at all levels.
“Today marks yet another important milestone in our continued journey of Transforming the Game in Malawi,” said the FAM President. “As you may be aware, the Technical Directorate is the heartbeat of any football association.
“It is the engine room that shapes the future of the game — by nurturing grassroots talent, strengthening coach education, and establishing a sustainable pathway for football development across the country.
“Today, we are taking a huge step towards strengthening that engine,” said Haiya, while emphasising that Malawi’s football future lies in the villages, communities, schools, and informal playing grounds scattered across Malawi.
“We cannot dream of producing competitive national teams if we do not invest in grassroots football, where talent is discovered, nurtured and developed. With the arrival of Mr. Yvon, we are reaffirming our commitment to building a strong grassroots structure that identifies boys and girls early, guides them properly, and prepares them for elite football.
“We will strengthen youth leagues, community centres, academies, and school football while introducing structured development programmes across all districts. This is the foundation for long-term success.
On coach education, Haiya stressed that FAM “cannot develop quality players without quality coaches since the modern game demands professionalism, technical depth, and constant learning”.
“Malawi must, therefore, develop a new generation of well-trained, modern, and internationally certified coaches. We believe strongly that an empowered coach is a multiplier of talent.
On football development, Haiya maintained that this area cannot be over-emphasised, saying: “Our vision is clear — to develop sustainable national teams that qualify consistently and compete proudly on the international stage.
“This requires a holistic football development model — linking grassroots, youth structures, elite pathways, sports science, women’s football, beach soccer, refereeing, and club development.
“With Mr. Yvon at the helm, we will strengthen our technical planning, performance analysis, talent scouting systems, and long-term player development pathways. We expect the Technical Directorate to be the central pillar that aligns our national teams with the modern demands of the game.
“From the Scorchers, the Flames, the Under-17s and Under-20s, to our academies and community programmes — football development must speak one language and follow one philosophy.
Haiya highly spoke of Yvon Avry, emphasising that expertise, integrity, and passion for football development have already earned him global respect as he is a highly qualified French football technician with a UEFA A Diploma and decades of international experience.
“He has served as a FIFA Technical Consultant and Instructor, Technical Director of Brunei Darussalam, and Technical Advisor for the Fédération Malagasy de Football — today, he becomes part of the Malawi football family.
In conclusion, the FAM President emphasised that “Transforming the Game is not just a slogan — it is a commitment and by strengthening the technical leadership, the FAM leadership is laying the foundation for the next generation of Malawian football stars”.
He sincerely applauded the outgoing TD, Benjamin Kumwenda, “for the outstanding work he has done over the past years, who has laid a strong and solid foundation for Malawi’s technical development — particularly in modernising our coaching systems, strengthening youth structures, and professionalising our technical frameworks”.
Outgoing TD Benjamin Kumwenda
“His dedication, expertise, and love for the game have contributed immensely to the progress we see today. We are grateful for his service and we wish him the very best in his future endeavours.”
Thus he added that FAM is confident that Avry will build on Kumwenda’s foundation “and take our technical development to even greater heights. Let us work together — coaches, administrators, clubs, partners, government, and all football stakeholders — to support our new TD and to build a future where Malawi stands tall on the African and global stage.
“Mr. Yvon, welcome to Malawi; welcome to FAM and welcome to the Transformation Agenda.”
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