By Edwin Mbewe

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) President, Fleetwood Haiya, emphasized that capacity building in football management is crucial for achieving effective results.

Haiya made these remarks on Thursday, June 13, 2024 at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe during the official opening of a capacity-building workshop.

This workshop focuses on critical sectors such as general match coordination, basic leadership, marketing, finance, essential management, and media.

“When we talk about transforming the game, we must start from the bottom up, not the top down. This is why we have begun with zones and districts, progressing to regions and then to the national level. By districts, I mean inclusive of beach soccer, youth football, and football associations,” explains Haiya.

“Gone are the days when we elected leaders without providing them with the necessary capacity or induction. Now, as we advance our transformation agenda. We believe it’s wise to equip these leaders especially with upcoming competitions such as the Castel Cup, FDH Bank Cup, beach soccer, and Under-14 tournaments,” he added.

The FA President stressed the importance of equipping administrators with the knowledge and skills to manage finances, organize games, and handle other responsibilities effectively.

One of the participants, Dedza District Youth Football General Secretary Crink Mahilas, expressed his anticipation for positive changes in organizing games, writing proposals, budgeting and reporting.

Participants were drawn from all nine districts in the central region.

This workshop is not the first of its kind this year. Earlier, the FA conducted similar workshops for stewards and women’s football administrators.