Malawi Men’s Under-20 Coach Millias Pofera Jegwe has called on the authorities to put in place mechanisms and structures to maintain the current squad.
Jegwe was reacting after the junior Flames finished with a silver medal at the just-ended African Union Sports Council (Ausc) Region 5 Games in Windhoek, Namibia, after the team lost 3-0 to South Africa’s Amajita in the final at the University of Namibia on Sunday.
“We need the current team to stay together for a long time and go into frequent camps. The team should develop gradually up to the senior level. This way, our [Malawi] football is going to develop further,” he said.
Jegwe hailed the government for bankrolling the team’s four camping sessions, saying it helped the team build cohesion and that this positively helped the team to produce a five-star performance in Namibia.
He also asked the government to continue investing in infrastructure and technical capacity to close in on advancing countries.
- Advertisement -
“There is a need to invest in modern training facilities, stadia and equipment to provide a conducive environment for young players to develop their skills,” he said.
Meanwhile, Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS) Chief Executive Officer Henry Kamara has said they will continue with their long-term athlete development programme to win medals in the future.
“This is part of our building process,” he said.
Recently, Football Association of Malawi (Fam) President Fleetwood Haiya said developing football required joint efforts.
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
“The future of Malawian football is, indeed, bright as we continue our collective journey to transform the game from the grassroots up,” Haiya wrote on his Facebook page.
During the tournament, the junior Flames defeated Zimbabwe 2-1 in their opening match, before drawing one-all with Angola.
The team finished the group stage with a 2-1 victory over Namibia.
In the semifinals, the junior Flames stunned Zambia 2-1.
Junior Flames playmaker Mwisho Mhango was named player of the tournament and also bagged the Golden Boot award, with five goals from five matches.
Meanwhile, four junior Flames players have been in Cosafa Best 11 after impressing during the developmental Games.
Mhango leads the list, which also has Madalitso Safuli, winger Misheck Biliat and centre back Precious Manjawira.
