FAM to close illegal academies
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) will close football academies that are not registered with it.
FAM technical director John Kaputa told Nation on Sunday that most of the academies are not in line with the grassroots football programmes recommended by Fifa.
He said out of 20 football academies that have blossomed over the years, only three, namely Blantyre-based Surestream, which is now in FAM’s hands, and Lilongwe-based Play Football Malawi and Chigoli, are registered.
Kaputa said: “We are supposed to work hand-in-hand with all the soccer academies in the country, but what we see in some of these entities is different from what we are looking for.”
Article 19 of Fifa regulations on academies stipulates that each association is obliged to ensure that all academies without legal, financial or de facto links to a club, participate in the relevant national championships, all their players are reported to the association upon whose territory the academy operates and that all minors who attend the academy for the purpose of training are reported to the association.
It further states that the associations shall keep a register of names and dates of birth of the minors who have been reported to it by its clubs or academies.
Kaputa said the only way to put things back in order is to enforce the law by getting rid of the unregistered academies.
Director of Chisomo Football Academy in Kasungu, Honest Nkhwazi, said they are trying their best to meet all the requirements for their institution to thrive.
“I visited FAM offices on the matter and I was told that they will call all directors of football academies, so that we can discuss how we should go about with the running of the academies. I believe this is the right forum we will iron out such registration issues,” said the former Surestream Academy coach.
