World football governing body has approved the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) women’s football campaign which seeks to increase the number of girls playing football in the country.

The initiative is one of Fifa’s three women’s football development programmes approved for Malawi with the aim of accelerating the growth of the sport.

FAM technical director Benjamin Kumwenda said the initiative will help to increase the number of girls playing football by creating awareness and empowering girls through football.

He said: “There were a number of women’s football development programmes for members associations to apply and, looking at our women’s football level as  FAM, we applied for women’s football campaign, club licensing and league development. We are grateful to Fifa for approving all the projects.”

Kumwenda: We are grateful

Kumwenda said FAM will launch the programme at Civo Stadium in Lilongwe on June 3 and Mzuzu Stadium on June 4.

In Blantyre, it will be launched on June 10.

He said: “We want to establish Under-14 and Under-16 girls’ leagues in cities this year, but then we looked at our situation and we noted that it will be hard to just come up with the leagues since very few girls play football.

“The Women Football Campaign programme to raise awareness and promote the game among the young girls. We will have women football ambassadors who will be role models to the girls. These will motivational talks to the girls after the games.”

Scorchers striker Asimenye Simwaka and former Scorchers captain Linda Kasenda will be ambassadors during the launch in Lilongwe and Mzuzu.

Malawi has produced one of the top players in the world in Tabitha Chawinga who last week became the first African to win the Italy Serie A Femminile League Golden Boot.

National Women’s Football Association chairperson Adellaide Migogo said the campaign is crucial in the implementation of recently launched women’s football strategic plan.

She said: “This is a good development in as far as women’s football development in the country is concerned. We would like to develop players from a young age so the campaign has come at a very right time.

“As highlighted in my manifesto, my aim is to have as many girls playing in foreign clubs and I believe this can be achieved if they start playing football at a tender age. We want to have more Tabitha and Temwa Chawingas in the future. The ambassadors will also help boost morale of the girls to remain in the game.”

Participating teams in the campaign include Ascent Academy, TC 11 FC, Hungry Lions, Chilinde Queens, Kamuzu Institute and Mpira M’mudzi Mwathu in the Central Region as well as MK Academy, Gafu Sisters, Bico Optical FC, Hardknockers FC, Topik Sisters and Geisha Academy from the Northern Region.

Kumwenda said FAM is yet to identify which teams from Southern Region will participate in the programme

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