The Football Association of Malawi (Fam) has received a timely boost after Confederation of African Football (Caf) gave Bingu National Stadium (BNS) in Lilongwe a provisional licence to host the federation’s sanctioned competitions.
This comes as a relief to the national football governing body as it was panicking over the condition of the ground, amid fears of playing home games in foreign countries.
Fam Chief Executive Officer Abdul Chiwalo, while welcoming the provisional licence, said they needed to work with the government to ensure that the ground is in perfect condition before the Malawi National Football Team begin 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
“We are relieved that we have at least secured a provisional licence. It shows the work which stakeholders have put in place is bearing positive fruits.
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“We will not relax but work jointly with the government to ensure that the stadium is fit and ready to host all Caf and Fifa sanctioned games,” he said.
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The Flames are expected to use the venue when hosting South Sudan in 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) Group B match next month.
Meanwhile, Mighty Wanderers will also use BNS for their Caf Champions League campaign. The Nomads have been drawn against Simba Sports Club of Tanzania in the continental showpiece first preliminary round.
Wanderers will host Simba between September 4 to 6 at BNS before the second leg away in Tanzania a week later.
BNS was temporarily closed in June to allow preparations for the pre-inspection in line with Caf Stadium Regulations. In a statement issued on June 29,2026, Fam said the exercise was meant to assess the facility and identify areas that needed attention.
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Meanwhile, the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture spokesperson Macmillan Mwale has said that BNS will be restored within two weeks following concerns over its condition after hosting the Landlord Pakwawo Music Concert last weekend.
The 40,000-seat stadium hosted musician Gwamba’s Landlord Pakwawo Concert on Saturday night into Sunday, with Nigerian artist Ruger as the headline performer.
Mwale said maintenance works were already underway and expressed confidence that the stadium would meet Caf’s minimum requirements.
BNS is the only Caf certified venue in the country. The facility was opened in 2017. Since then, it has hosted several international matches.
