FAM to get tougher on club licensing

Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has said it will be strict on issuing licences in the forthcoming season as teams are now conversant with the requirements.

The local football governing body regulates clubs through the Fifa designed club licensing system (CLS) which encourages commercialisation of club football across the world.

To obtain a licence, clubs are supposed to fulfil five  criteria, namely administrative and personnel, sporting, infrastructure, financial and legal.

Speaking yesterday during a club licensing workshop in Lilongwe ahead of the new season, Allan Muhome, who leads a FAM independent organ, First Instance Body, responsible for club licensing said they have been tolerant in the past seasons.

 He, however, insisted that that is about to change.

“Club licensing is a new initiative so we tried to be accommodative. But we believe that the clubs have been sensitised quite enough and do not have excuses,” he said.

Muhome observed that over the past seasons the key requirements the clubs have been failing to fulfil centred around ownership and auditing of accounts.

“Some clubs do not have comprehensive documents on ownership. This problem is common among government owned clubs. We are urging them to register the clubs as soon as they can,” he said.

Muhome said auditing accounts was pencilled in as requirement to ensure clubs’ accountability.

“The clubs are also failing in this area. We expect that this season they have done better. If they haven’t we will not hesitate to take action,” he said.

Reacting to the warning, TN Stars general secretary Blessings Nkhoma said they support the move.

“I think as clubs, we shouldn’t treat licensing as a stumbling block but a path towards commercialisation which clubs desperately need to be financially viable,” he said.

Silver Strikers general secretary Lawrence Yobe said the club has been working hard to imporve its operations in line with club licensing.

“Last time we got 70 percent, but this time we will do better,” he said.

Be Forward Wanderers vice-general secretary Chulu Mkangama said the team has always scored well.

The two-day club licencing workshop, which has attracted all the 16 Super League clubs, will be concluded today.

Meanwhile, clubs have until March 1 to present documents that support their licences application. The season kicks off later next month. n