Walter Nyamilandu appeals for unity in football

Tom Sangala December 14, 2015

305 2 minutes read

Football Association of Malawi (Fam) re-elected president, Walter Nyamilandu, has appealed for unity among the association’s nine affiliates.

Nyamilandu said this in his acceptance speech after he recorded a landslide victory to be reelected for the fourth term as Fam president at Sunbird Nkopola in Mangochi on Saturday evening.

The spirit of fairplay was notably lacking during the three months of Fam election campaign.

Nyamilandu’s adversaries continued to hurry him to explain on how the association transacts its finances.

But, Nyamilandu kept assuring them that all was well with Fam finances and there was no foul-play.

Despite the unsubstantiated accusations and legal threats flying in every direction, Nyamilandu won the election with landslide victory, beating his rivals, Wilkins Mijiga and Willy Yabwanya Phiri.

After the vote, which ended at 10:15 pm, as the delegates were waiting for the High Court to vacate the injunction taken by Mijiga, Tiyanjane Somba Banda and Phiri, Nyamilandu immediately appealed for unity, asking all the affiliates to join hands with him.

“There are a lot of things which have been said, but I do not keep any grudges. We need to work together, but I do not want my humility to be taken for granted. If push comes to shove, we have to make tough decisions,” Nyamilandu warned.

The Fam president said as a true believer in God, it was out of His grace that He has given him the fourth term.

“I dedicate this election (victory) to my spiritual father. He told me that I needed faith to excel because it would be hard but I will come out the tallest,” he said.

Nyamilandu said during his tenure he will strive for commercialisation drive.

He disclosed that Fam is about to seal a deal with a local television broadcasting house to start beaming local football games as one of the strategies to boost income for the clubs and the association.

“I know players are not well paid. The money we make does not trickle down to the players,” Nyamilandu said while calling for all clubs to be licensed for the sake of progress.

“I want to leave a long-lasting legacy because I have nothing to lose. We need to make a paradigm shift from begging to commercialisation.”

Central Region Football Association (CRFA) chairperson, Austin Ajawa, said it is only through unity that football can develop.

“We just need to follow what the president has said for the game to develop,” he said.

At least 36 delegates voted during the AGM that ushered into office James Mwenda as first vice-president, Othaniel Hara second-vice president, Jabbar Alide, Daud Mtanthiko, Rashid Ntelera and Alfred Gunda as committee members.

Following is the list of contestants and how each scored

President

Walter Nyamilandu 27

Wilkins Mijiga 7

Willy Yabwanya Phiri 2

Ist Vice-president

James Mwenda 26

Tiyanjane Somba Banda 10

2nd Vice-president

Othaniel Hara 22

Pikawo Ngalamira 14

Members