NYFA commits to fight age cheating

National Youth Football Association (NYFA) has said it will enhance measures in fighting age cheating in the FMB Under-20 League.

NYFA chairperson Mavuto Missi said his association had put up systems to deal with the problem that has been blamed for the staggering progress of Malawi football in the country.

“We took note of the problem and it has been one of our priority areas that if we are to develop players from the grass roots then we must ensure we are strict on player ages.

“As an association, we have developed a data base where we monitor all players that have been registered so that we graduate those that are over-aged to higher leagues,” he said.

For some time, Malawi football players have struggled to play consistently at top level as analysts have said it is a result of age cheating where players records have been tampered with by officials and parents to make the players appear younger in record books.

Missi said: “Even during the selection process we have developed strong measures that all players must show credible birth certificates to avoid over aged players infiltrating our league.”

The 2016 season of the FMB Under-20 League was launched over the weekend with pomp as both Football Association of Malawi (FAM) and Ministry of Sports and Culture senior officials called for sound administration and continued support for youth football.

FAM president Walter Nyamilandu, who graced the occasion at St Paul the Apostle Seminary ground in Mangochi, said they  were putting much emphasis on youth football to enrich the senior national team.

“There can be no strong national teams without a solid youth football base. Our partnership with FMB, therefore, has already given us an indication that more fruits are being borne out of investment into youth football,” he said. n