Walter justifies K1bn budget for Malawi team: Plans for camp overseas
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president Walter Nyamilandu has justified FAM’s proposed budget of K1 billion presented to government, saying it covers for Malawi national football team, the Flames, preparations for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals, its participation as well as towards World Cup qualifiers.
FAM is planning to hold at least four international strength-testing matches ahead of and during the six FIFA World Group D qualifiers in which they are paired with Cameroun, Côte d’Ivoire and neighbouring Mozambique.
Nyamilandu said the K1 billion budget covers a lot of logistics such as technical preparations — in which the Flames shall need to be accommodated; player training and game bonuses; air tickets for both tournaments; air tickets to fly in foreign-based players to join the team camp at home and several other needs.
The Flames shall also need to get into camp some four weeks before the AFCON in Cameroon and the plan to have at least four international friendlies for the FIFA World Cup makes it 10 games in total.
Nyamilandu also said the association is planning for the Flames to camp overseas in preparation for the continental showpiece.
“We need to camp overseas or West Africa before we go to Cameroon. So, there is a lot at stake.
“Most of the money is going towards air tickets, accomodation, local camping and allowances for the players,” he said.
The Flames start the 2022 Qatar World Cup qualifiers away to Cameroun between June 5-8, 2021 before hosting Mozambique on match day 2 between June 11-14.
Then they will be up against Côte d’Ivoire in back-to-back fixtures — starting at home between September 1-4 and away between September 5-8.
Their last home match will be against Cameroun between October 6-9 and wind up the campaign away in Mozambique between October 10-12.
The winners of the 10 groups will qualify for the next round where they will face off to identify the five teams that will qualify for the Qatar finals.
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Mmmmm Walter, a reasonable estimate would be in the region of K300 million. K1 billion seems excessive unless of course you have included borrowing costs for a loan of k300million from local banks at their exorbitant interest charges
Did Walter or his representative present some budget details in whatever form or he just mentioned a figure, he will guess the details later? This govt that is struggling with balancing budget and expenditure, will not spend MK1 billion for fun of kickers of a bag of air because it does not form meaningful investment to the economy. If we were hosting an AFCON it would make sense to commit such to rehabilitate the likes of CIVO stadium knowing payback is in sight. As Walter is peacefully enjoying his retrenchment from Illovo (or was it resignation due to frustration of… Read more »
Do we really need to spend a billion of money on these clowns? I propose that we divert the proposed figure towards strengthening our health systems in selected health centers, issues of medical and surgical equipment, gensets, solar power etc. No matter how little 1 billion may sound, it will have served countless lives. In maternity wards, someone’s mother, wife, sister, would have had their lives saved, and new born given life who would be key to our National development at some point. Malawi National Team needs prayers, soul searching, vodoo, behaviour change and a lot physical training locally to… Read more »
This time let the team get the money. How many times has money been put aside for health system only to end up in people’s pockets? Covid money straight into people’s accounts. There is already money for hospitals, which is being abused. If you give them extra, they will do the same.
I am not a fan of Walter but he is right. It is not easy going to those tournaments. You need preparations, friendlies with good teams. Give them the money. If all you think is cost cutting then don’t go, otherwise Malawi as a country will be a laughing stock there and on social media.