Football Association of Malawi (Fam) has stepped up efforts to benefit from Fifa’s initiative to help member associations sustain their operations during the Covid-19 pandemic break.
Fifa has outlined three immediate priorities to support football during and beyond the pandemic which has led to suspension of sports activities in most parts of the world.
The initiative will see the world football governing body making advance Fifa Forward payments to its associations.
Fam General Secretary, Alfred Gunda, said work had already commenced on providing their situation analysis to Fifa.
“Fifa has asked us to provide our situation analysis and we are working on it,” Gunda said.
According to www.Fifa.com, Fifa President Gianni Infantino announced that in order to alleviate immediate financial problems, subject to relevant committee approval, member association operational costs from the Fifa Forward Programme due later this year will be paid in advance.
Infantino said given the exceptional circumstances, he has requested that the requirement for the fulfillment of the additional criteria be waived for both 2019 and 2020 in order for the full amounts to be paid to all 211 members associations including Malawi.
“For the emergency relief fund, thanks to the work that we have been doing together at Fifa during the past four years, we are today in a very strong financial situation. Fifa enjoys a good reputation on the financial market.
“This has helped us consolidate a solid foundation with large reserves. But our reserves are not Fifa’s money. They are football’s money. So when football is in need, we must think what we can do to help. It is our responsibility and our duty,” Infantino was quoted as saying.
Infantino said a consultation process was underway to assess Covid-19’s financial impact across football in order to prepare the right response based around a fund with an independent governance structure.
“You have to know that we will be there and we will find solutions together. You will never be alone and the world will know where money goes and, equally important, why the money goes there,” he added.