Fam to form Under -17 regional teams
Football Association of Malawi (Fam) wants to establish Under-17 regional football teams, Technical Director, John Kaputa, has confirmed.
He commented on the regional teams when he engaged Northern Region football coaches at Mzuzu Stadium over the weekend.
“By having a team in every region, we will be assured that, besides academies [which the government wants to establish], of three established junior teams,” Kaputa explained.
“With the football philosophy to be imparted in our youngsters by the Flames Coach, Ronny van Geneugden, it will also be a good time to have such bases.”
Kaputa said Fam wants to do away with the current haphazard way of talent identification for the national teams.
Ahead of the 2016 Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (Cosafa) Under-20 Championship, Fam’s coaches conducted trials within weeks across the country, raising questions on the effectiveness of the scouting.
Northern Regional Youth Football Association General Secretary, Desire Bellings, condemned such trials, saying they could not produce good players.
However, former Moyale Barracks FC coach, Collins Nkuna, believes establishing such regional teams alone cannot turn around the country’s football fortunes.
“In the past, we used to have full-time sports directors in every district. They were always on the ground getting the cream of potential footballers.
“If we can go back to that method, I think we can do better. Otherwise, just appointing regional coaches will not help matters,” Nkuna said.
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