President Lazarus Chakwera has rewarded each of the Malawi national women’s football team squad member with a K1.5 million and a 35×25 metre plot in Area 45 in Lilongwe for winning the 2023 COSAFA Women’s Championship.
Chakwera, who hosted the team for a luncheon at the State House in Lilongwe on Wednesday said the team should be applauded for demonstrating a great fighting spirit and good discipline.
“ Your victory is not a mean achievement. It didn’t happen by luck. This championship is built on lifetime family support of ambition to succeed, years of hard work , months of discipline, weeks of good coaching by Fazili and company and timeless love for the country.
“ And it was only right on behalf of all Malawians that I should host you at the Kamuzu place, the peoples house, your house to celebrate and to thank you for making us all proud like you have.
“ Congratulations to all the stakeholders who have made this victory possible including the ministry of sports, Sports Council, FAM, Coach Fazili and panel, But I also congratulate those that have facilitated all this to happen even when there seems to be clear evidence that it would not happen.
“So, Goshen City , Prophet Bushiri and others that stepped in, I need to congratulate such and all Malawi supporters who gave the team support. From the bottom of my heart and those of 20 Malawians thank you for proving that Malawi is a winning team and wish you success in future tournaments.
“My appeal would go to everyone in the corporate world that investing in a team like this is not wasted investment because it is a team that has already proved that Malawi can be put on a map,” said Chakwera.
FAM President Walter Nyamilandu Manda said Women’s football has become an attractive sport in the world and called for increased investment towards such a venture in the country.
“The girls are a living expression of the principle that setting goals and fighting to accomplish them brings results, no matter how long it takes and as long as you remain focused.
“For the Scorchers, it has been FAM supporting the team singlehandedly all along, including paying salary for the coach.
“But just as we have seen from the amazing football enterprise at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup which took place in New Zealand and Australia from July to August 2023, we can no longer keep ignoring women football.
“Women football is no longer sidelined as it is the centre-stage activity that has proven to be capable of bringing pride, prestige, and unity to the nation, just as men’s football and netball.
“But this can only be achieved through adequate and long-term investment. It is our hope that both your government and the private sector will seize the opportunities which women football presents and support the Scorchers,” he said.
Nyamilandu added that FAM believes in Chakwera’s ideas on national development and is pleased that under his administration, football has delivered results.
“Within the past three years, we have seen the Flames going to the African Cup of Nations in Cameroon where the team reached the round of 16. We have seen Beach Soccer Malawi participating for the first time in the African Cup of Nations tournament which was played in Mozambique. we have seen youths from Salima Secondary School finishing third at the CAF African Schools Championship played in South Africa.
“At FAM, we see ourselves as one of the institutions that is key in the development agenda of your government,” he said.
Sports Minister Uchizi Mkandawire has since assured the sports fraternity that government will continue providing resources to athletes so that they win medals in international tournaments.
Mkandawire has hailed President Lazarus Chakwera for hosting the team to a luncheon, saying this will motivate athletes to do well.
National Women’s Football Association (NWFA) Chairperson, Adelaide Migogo Chakwera for his support towards the Scorchers.
She says women’s football has a lot of untapped potential but it is sad that the women’s football team lack funds to participate in all international competitions such as Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers and the World Cup qualifiers.
Captain Temwa Chawinga said if the team is supported to participate in all competition in has what it takes to do more.
Chakwera donation is on top of the K4 million package that FAM will give the girls for their participation and bringing the trophy home.
FAM awarded each player a bonus of K1 million for winning the championship on top of a K1 million game bonus for winning five games at K200,000.00 per game and USD 1,500 (about K1,753,500) external travel allowance.
