Presidential Cup overhaul
Football Association of Malawi (Fam) has proposed, to government, the exclusion of Super League teams from the K60 million Presidential Cup so as to turn it into a development competition for Under-17 clubs.
Fam General Secretary, Suzgo Nyirenda, confirmed that the association’s Executive Committee meeting, held over the weekend, resolved to write to the Malawi National Council of Sports over the proposal for only regional and district teams in the cup.
“We want that it should become a developmental cup. We wrote to the Council and we are waiting for their feedback. There are negotiations with the private sector to replace the Presidential Cup with an elite competition for Super League teams,” Nyirenda explained.
Nyasa Big Bullets are the defending champions after they defeated Moyale Barracks on post-match penalties at Civo Stadium in Lilongwe last month.
Bullets acting-General Secretary, Kelvin Moyo, welcomed yesterday the suggestion for the composition of the cup, saying it was losing its competitiveness. National champions were pocketing K10 million.
“I support that proposal. It was no longer becoming competitive for Super League teams and it was being played over a long period of time, which was costly,” Moyo said yesterday.
The Sports Council’s Administration Manager, Henry Mereka, said on Monday they were yet to forward the proposal to the Ministry of Sports and Culture for a final decision.
“Fam wants the competition to concentrate on football development, which is actually in line the initial concept of the competition—to unearth talent,” Mereka said.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Christopher Mbukwa, said on Monday government was yet to receive the proposal for the cup, which is played in three phases— preliminary, play-offs and national phase.
A brainchild of former president late Bingu wa Mutharika, the competition, which was established in 2008, was not held in 2014 and 2015 as government diverted funding to Malawi National Football team activities.
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