By Burnett Munthali
First, we have to start developing football from the grassroots level. Malawi must have a deliberate policy whereby every public school must have sports and games training twice every week. This must be done in all institutions whether they have competitions or not.
Schools and colleges in Malawi must have frequent games and tournaments at zone, regional and national level every year in order to identify and promote talent. Such tournaments could be supported by government.
Second, good players must be identified with the help of their teachers and lecturers in their respective schools and colleges who can play well, behave well, communicate both in English and chichewa.
Communication is paramount in the game of football so it must be set as a yardstick for the prospective future footballers.
Third, good coaches with good track record must be identified from within Malawi first and abroad too. Getting coaches from outside Malawi must always be the last option after we have failed to find good ones locally. We must cast our net wide in order to get the best coaches. The coaches must be given the challenges but let’s get good players first without any favours.
Fourth, the current team must be dismantled without fear or favour because to be honest, we don’t have a team so far. Allow me to say that at the present moment we don’t have players in the national team.
Therefore, we do not need the current national football team and it must go as well just like the coach has been asked to pack and go. The Flames must pack and go as well.
Sixth, Malawi must take a five years break from playing any international football games in order that we build a good football team for the future.
We need enough time, human resource, skills development, understanding the game of football, endurance and motivation to the team we want to build. We need new players, talent, skills to be identified, trained and coached how to play good football. And the time is now to demolish everything we have and start afresh.
Finally, Malawi should consider the involvement of all stakeholders to build a good team. Previous coaches such as Kinnah Phiri and Meke Mwase, commentaries such as Steve Liwewe Banda and Patrick Simango, soccer analysts such as Charles Nyirenda ( Grand Master), and other soccer analysts, former football players such as Fisher Khondowe and Joseph Kamwendo, some notable football fans and the general public should be involved in one way or the other to come up with the team we really need.
Once a good team has been assembled, a great foreign country should be chosen where Malawi can go to train and camp for a reasonable period of time. Let them play some games right there before they return home to test their football skills.
I would propose the new destination for the team to go and learn and train should be Germany, Belgium or Spain with full funding from our coffers. It’s a huge sacrifice but we have to do it now or never !