BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has unveiled a new strategic plan for women’s football, a move many believe could transform the future of the women’s game in Malawi from grassroots level to the national stage.
The roadmap, named the Women’s Football Strategic Plan 2025-2027,officially launched on Monday at Mpira Village in Blantyre with a strong focus on building sustainable structures for the growth of women’s football across the country.
Speaking during the launch, FAM President Fleetwood Haiya described the occasion as a historic turning point for Malawian football, saying the time had come to invest seriously in the women’s game.
Haiya said the impressive rise of Malawi’s women’s national team, the Scorchers, had shown that the country possesses enormous talent capable of competing at the highest level.
“The Scorchers have demonstrated that Malawi has the potential to compete at major competitions and because of that, we must establish strong foundations that will continue developing women’s football from the grassroots to elite level,” said Haiya.
The strategy is built on five key pillars which include youth and grassroots football, elite pathway and national competitions, marketing and communication, administration and governance, as well as education and technical development.
FAM believes the plan will not only improve the quality of competition but also strengthen pathways for young girls to progress into professional football and national team structures.
Haiya further stressed that the initiative goes beyond football, saying it is also about empowering girls, promoting leadership and creating opportunities for women through sport.
Blantyre City Mayor and owner of Ntopwa FC Women Isaac Jomo Osman said the strategic plan has the potential to completely change the landscape of women’s football if implemented effectively.
Osman noted that for years women’s football lacked proper direction and long term planning, but the newly launched roadmap signals a serious commitment towards meaningful transformation.
The launch also attracted several key stakeholders in women’s football including Adelaide Migogo Chairperson of the National Women’s Football Association in Malawi and other football administrators from across the country.
The unveiling of the strategy comes at a time when Malawi is steadily gaining recognition within the COSAFA region with many football followers believing the country now has a genuine chance to become one of Southern Africa’s emerging forces in women’s football.
