Win to attract sponsors — Walter Nyamilandu
Football Association of Malawi (Fam) President, Walter Nyamilandu, has challenged Malawi Women’s National Football Team to start winning matches if they are to attract sponsors.
Nyamilandu was reacting to comments by one of the women’s football officials, David Dube, that Fam’s leadership is failing to uplift women’s football.
Dube, who is also the owner of Lilongwe-based women’s football club, DD Sunshine, accused Nyamilandu of not living up to the promise he made prior to his re-election in 2015 that he would secure sponsorship for women’s football.
But Nyamilandu said the national team can market itself through winning.
Recently, the national team lost 2-3 to their Zambian counterparts in a friendly game played at Nankhaka Ground in Lilongwe.
“They have to start winning matches. Sponsors cannot just come and spend their money on something that will not make a profit. So the best way is to invest in the youths,” Nyamilandu said.
“You could see from the Zambia game that we fielded a very young team, but it managed to score two goals. Although we lost, there were some positives from that match. They just have to keep getting better and better in their next games,” Nyamilandu said.
Meanwhile, National Women’s Football Committee Chairperson, Severia Chalira, said the corporate world shuns women’s football because they undermine the game.
She added that it would be difficult for domestic women’s football to match their male counterparts due to people’s perception.
“Generally, when people think of football, they think of men only. So the mindset is that it is a men’s sport which is just being forced on women. That is why I think it will take ages for people to support women’s football,” Chalira explained.
“We wish we could have also had a consistent national women’s football league as it is the case with TNM Super League. But I don’t know if this dream will ever come true.”
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