FAM president Walter Nyamilandu has told the international press that his association has never toyed with the idea of withdrawing the Flames from the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
“We have not pulled out and we do not intend to pull out,” Nyamilandu told BBC Sport on Wednesday. Nyamilandu could not be reached for comment yesterday.
“We are facing a serious problem with funding, but we are still in discussions with the Malawi Government over our participation in both competitions, a misunderstanding has come about because we have been asked to prioritise the teams.”
But Nyamilandu told The Nation twice during the week that only the Under-20 team would participate in Africa Youth Championship qualifiers next month after being told by government that there is no funding for both teams.
“We are aware, but may be government is not aware and that information has been passed on to Sports Council and government. As of now, it is a question of wanting to withdraw, not that we have withdrawn,” Nyamilandu explained on Tuesday when asked about the consequences of withdrawal.
Government wrote FAM last week that since FAM exhausted its funding, money would be only be available in the next financial year starting this July and that the association has to fend for itself if it wants both teams to get involved in international competitions.
“It is not just about taking part in a tournament, it is about preparedness. You also look at how government has been funded and how football has been funded as well. We should not participate for the sake of it,” Sports Minister Enoch Chihana told The Nation of Tuesday.
