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| Sports |
| Appoint technical director, Fifa tells Fam |
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by
Oris Chimenya, 20 August 2004
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12:54:26
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Fifa has directed the Football Association of Malawi (Fam) to beef up its operations by appointing a technical director who will be in charge of the association efforts to identify talent from grassroots and develop it.
Not only that. The world soccer governing body has also recommended that the local football association should appoint a marketing director and a media relations officer.
The Fifa representative, who was in the company of Fifa instructor Ben Koufe, held the conference a day after a two-day workshop where they unveiled a four-year soccer development plan for the local association.
Mamelodi explained that the idea of having the two people is to strategise and properly execute the marketing and media relations duties for the association which has never had those positions in its executive committee.
“People are scared of Fam and they do not want to be associated with soccer again because of the things they have been hearing about the association.
“And this is the challenge of the new executive to change Fam’s public picture and bring in a new sense of confidence for sponsors who have pulled out their sponsorship because of some irregularities,” said Mamelodi.
He noted that the major problem in Africa is that people like to write plans without implementing them.
“I want these things to succeed because implementation is the key. People like to come up with glossy plans which remain unused and that makes the plans’ intended purpose not to materialise,” he said.
Mamelodi also took a swipe at the Malawi Football Coaches Association (MFCA).
“We do not recognise the coaches association and this is another reason why we should have the technical director,” said Mamelodi, wondering why Malawi should have the coaches association when Fam has technical department.
Koufe also agreed with his colleague that the development of the soccer plan is a turning point in the administration of soccer in the country and Africa as a whole.
“Its not in Malawi alone, it is a general problem in Africa. Most African nations, including my own country Ghana, have failed on planning and do their programmes without any reference point.
“But now, we want Malawi and the entire continent to change and see new things coming up. The US$ 250,000 Financial Assistance Programme (Fap) which Fam gets from Fifa is not for the national team but the development of talent and salary money for the technical director,” he said, adding that those times are over.
Koufe, who has over 40 years experience in football coaching, said the national teams are public properties which must get their funding from the government and other well-wishers from the private sector.
The development plan, which is expected to act as the Bible for Fam and the country’s football, covers youth development, technical development, planning and administration, refereeing, female football sports medicine and coaching.
He said if these items were fully implemented, Malawi would see its football developing and there would be no problems of financial mismanagement and talent development problems.
The Football Association of Malawi has been criticised by various quarters that it lacks creativity, vision and strategy.
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