The Football Association of Malawi Congress on Saturday morning voted to revoke the membership of three Member Associations in an effort to streamline governance and enhance professionalism within Malawi’s football structures.

At its 2025 Annual General Meeting held at Livingstonia Beach in Salima, the Congress voted to dismiss the National Football Youth Association, National Football Coaches Association, and National Referees Association as Members of FAM.

The proposal was tabled by Northern Region Football Association Chairperson Masiya Nyasulu, who argued that the associations were duplicating roles already being handled by FAM’s internal departments.

FAM President Fleetwood Haiya said the development forms part of broader reforms aligned with FIFA’s governance guidelines.

“This is not about removing them from football but aligning them to operate more effectively outside FAM’s political structure,” he said.

He emphasized that the three groups will continue functioning as technical and professional partners of FAM.

“They will now report directly to the FAM executive through relevant sub- Committees. This change will allow us to support their operations more efficiently, especially in critical areas like youth development, coaching, and refereeing,” he added.

Haiya also noted that the decision would help eliminate political interference, which has previously hampered the performance of these bodies.

He cited challenges such as underfunded youth programs and referees being barred from international duties due to governance-related conflicts.

With the new changes, FAM now has seven member associations namely the Super League of Malawi (SULOM), Women’s Football Association, Beach Soccer Association and the Four Regional Football Associations—Central, Southern, Northern, and Eastern Region.