Malawi’s women’s football team’s trip to Zambia for international friendly games with Zambia’s Copper Queens has hit a financial stumbling block after the country’s National Sports Council announced that it will not fund the trip due to poor timing.
The Council’s chief executive officer, Henry Kamata, has stated that when the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) approached them with a funding request, they were told they would not be able to fund the trip.
“We are heading towards the end of the financial year and we cannot go to the treasury to ask for extra funds. FAM is aware of our response over the matter,” said Kamata.
However, FAM president Fleetwood Haiya has expressed ignorance of the Council’s response, claiming he has not seen it.
However, he has maintained that the Scorchers will travel to Zambia to play friendly games while preparing for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifiers.
“Yes, I can confirm that we wrote them [the council] that our friendlies in Zambia would need them to fund the trip. I am not aware if they have responded because I haven’t seen their response yet, but I know they will fund the trip,” said Haiya.
FAM looking for sponsors —Sources
Despite Haiya expressing ignorance, a source within FAM has told BolaNews that indeed the Council responded last week on their stand not to fund the Scorchers’ trip to Zambia.
The source further said that FAM is working on other alternatives to make sure that they send Scorchers to Zambia for friendlies.
“We are aware of their sstand; there is a plan that we find other means to source money; the immediate plan is to talk to sponsors who will help with air tickets. So, yeah, we will fly to Zambia but this is a big setback that the government has failed to fund the team,” he said.
Zambia invited Malawi to play two friendly games in Zambia on February 20 and 23, 2025.
Haiya has said Malawi will send a strong squad to Zambia, which includes all their foreign-based players, particularly Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga.
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