Malawi Women’s National Football Team’s exemplary performance and discipline at the 2023 Cosafa Women’s Championship has exposed gaps in other national teams prompting authorities to consider enforcing code of conduct, Malawi News Sport has learnt.
Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS) Board Chairperson Sunduzwayo Madise said the Scorchers have set a benchmark in terms of discipline and outstanding performance which other national teams from all sport codes need to emulate.
The Scorchers lifted the Cosafa Championship after beating Zambia 2-1 in the final on Sunday in South Africa, to end the country’s 35 year wait for a trophy at the senior level.
Madise said unruly players who of the country should not be allowed to represent the country. prioritise money at the expense
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“I addressed the girls in South Africa before the final and all they did was listen and promise to get the job done. They did not demand anything or blackmail council as others do. For the first time, I addressed players without any blackmail. This team is well disciplined and deserves to be champions.
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“I was deeply impressed by the discipline and professionalism exhibited by the Scorchers, both on and off the pitch. Their conduct has been exemplary, setting a high standard for sportsmanship in Malawi,” Madise said.
His remarks were in direct reference to the Malawi Men’s National Football Team and the Malawi National Netball Team, who normally stage strikes and boycott threats prior to important games.
Madise said the council will devise strategy together with associations to ensure that deserving athletes represent the country.
“We will develop mechanisms to get rid of all players who value money more than the honour of representing the nation.
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“Players deserve to be rewarded for their sweat, but, prioritising money at the expense of patriotism is the reason why most of our national teams do not perform well,” he said.
Madise hailed both Football Association of Malawi (Fam) President Walter Nyamilandu and National Women’s Football Association Chairperson Adellaide Migogo for outstanding hands-on leadership and support in nurturing such an exceptional team.
“The dedication of the NWFA association to the development of women’s football in Malawi has yielded extraordinary results and has been a source of inspiration for aspiring female footballers across the nation,” he said.
Following the team’s triumph, each member of the Scorchers squad got K1.5 million plus a piece of land (25m×35m) situated in Area 45 in Lilongwe as a token of appreciation for winning the tournament from the government.
The Scorchers also pocketed K3.8 million each from Fam as part of allowances and game bonuses.
It means each player got about K5.3 million in total.
Meanwhile, Fam General Secretary Alfred Gunda said it is important for players to aim high.
“Good sportsmanship is encouraged for star performance and the rewards are more gratifying to an athlete after a great feat.
“All are encouraged to emulate to stay focused on star performance that brings pride to individual players and more so to the nation,” he said.
On his part, Netball Association of Malawi (Nam) General Secretary Isaac Chimwala said the association has a code of conduct in place which guides conduct of players while in camp.
“Nam will enforce this code and anyone who breaches the same will be dealt with accordingly.
“In line with the code, once an incident occurs, an investigation will be conducted to establish facts behind the misconduct. The outcome of the investigation will determine level of disciplinary action to be taken against perpetrators,” Chimwala said.
