The Football Association of Malawi (Fam) has said it is considering introducing a mandatory minimum academic qualification for football coaches in the country as part of efforts to modernise the domestic game.
The move comes amid growing concern that many Malawian coaches are struggling to keep pace with modern football, largely due to poor computer literacy — a skill increasingly essential for analysing opponents, drawing up tactical plans and using data and performance metrics.
Fam Technical Sub-committee chairperson Christopher Madalitso Kuyera, who is also the association’s first vice-president, said plans were in the pipeline to set the Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) or diploma as the minimum entry requirement for coaches.
“Football has evolved in the world. Football is more into technology nowadays and we also have to move with time. We have had plans to make MSCE or a diploma the minimum requirement for coaches in Malawi,” Kuyera said.
Currently, there are no minimum entry requirements for all aspiring coaches.
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However, Confederation of African Football (Caf) A-coaching licence is minimum requirement for coaches in the FDH Bank Premiership.
He said it was unfortunate that Malawi had recently failed to produce more coaches who would work abroad.
“Previously, we used to export coaches to coach top clubs outside Malawi. [Take, for instance,] Jack Chamangwana.
“We need to have a minimum entry point because coaching requires a lot—analysing opponents analysing your own team, and more than that. We need coaches who are at least literate. However, these plans are subject to approval from the Fam Executive Committee,” he said.
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National Football Coaches Association (NFCA) Chairperson Aubrey Nankhuni welcomed the proposal but said there was a need for proper consultations.
“We need to consult all stakeholders before implementing the plan. There are a lot of areas which need to be addressed,” Nankhuni said.
He said the initiative aligned with NFCA’s own goals for developing the game.
Football consultant Felix Ngamanya Sapao also welcomed the proposal, describing computer literacy as essential for coaches.
“Most of our coaches are old school. Out of the more than 800 coaches registered with NFCA, fewer than 20 are computer literate. The modern game needs a computer-literate coach who can draw up a coaching plan, draft a match report and integrate player and team metrics into his coaching system,” Sapao said.
