Waiting game

Football Association of Malawi is looking up to the government for payment of K41 million in Malawi National Football Team players’ allowances. The two teams are set to meet again in a return match at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe on Tuesday. A grant for travel and accommodation for the year is paying for that critical aspect in Egypt.

Football Association of Malawi (Fam) is looking up to the government for payment of K41 million in Malawi National Football Team players’ allowances.

The players will be in action Friday evening against their Egyptian counterparts in a 2024 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Cairo, Egypt.

The two teams are set to meet again in a return match at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe on Tuesday.

Information that we have sourced indicates that the 27 players are owed about K1.4 million each for the 14- day period that covers both matches.

The players are entitled to $100 each in daily allowances when outside the country.

Fam General Secretary Alfred Gunda said they are still funding to cater for the allowances. waiting for government’s

“As you are aware, Fam has a budget which contributes towards national team activities under the Fifa Forward programme. A grant for travel and accommodation for the year is paying for that critical aspect in Egypt.

“You will note that we presented a budget for support to the government through MNCS [Malawi National Council of Sports] and have been engaging it on the release of funds which are supposed to cater for the allowances. So, indeed, we are yet to pay the allowances. We are just waiting for the government to release the funds before these two matches,” Gunda said.

However, Sports Council Public Relations and Communications Officer Edgar Ntulumbwa said they had forwarded the request to the government through the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

“Fam exhausted its allocation but we still forwarded the request to the government. What must be made clear though is that Fam exhausted its allocation. They wrote us requesting for extra funds and we sent the request to our parent ministry and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning,” Ntulumbwa said.

Director of Sports in the Ministry of Youth and Sports Jameson Ndalama confirmed receiving the request, which was forwarded to Treasury for consideration.

“We are just waiting for feedback now,” Ndalama said.

Malawi are in Group D of the qualifiers where all four teams have three points each and are only separated by goal difference.

Ethiopia lead, with the Flames lying second while Guinea and Egypt are on third and fourth position, respectively.