Football Association of Malawi (FAM) says it will extend club licensing to regional leagues which are a stairway to the top-flight TNM Super League.

The development aims at bridging the wide gap between

 the lower leagues and the TNM  Super League.

FAM competitions and communications director Gomezgani Zakazaka said the regional leagues licensing will be done in phases.

He said: “It is our plan to implement the mandatory requirements at all levels of Malawi football.”

Introduced in 2012 but adopted in Malawi in 2016, club licensing system has five pillars of financial, sporting, legal, administrative and infrastructure.

Financial which is aimed at ensuring economic and financial capability, ensures that clubs prepare financial statements containing balance sheet, a profit and loss account and a cash flow statement.

Kadona Stars (in white and green) taking on Ekwendeni United in Simso League

Sporting criteria aims at ensuring that clubs have professional players developed through progressive youth development structures under qualified coaches while infrastructure criteria clubs are expected to have standard stadiums for matches and training.

Club are also obliged to have permanent secretariat with qualified personnel to run its administration and legal status of the club clearly stated in documents such us articles, constitution or statutes.

The five criteria are aimed at safeguarding the credibility and integrity of clubs and improving the level of professionalism in national leagues, according to Fifa.

However, Zakazaka said this will be done in phases and grades in accordance with the level of the tiers.

This comes at a time FAM is set to fully implement the mandatory requirements in the elite league ahead of the 2023 football season.

Currently, FAM has changed the club Licencing grading system from B criteria, where determination was based on evaluation scores in terms of percentages upon fulfilment of all or some of the requirements, to A criteria, which is mandatory.

The change has come with the addition of a business and commercial criteria aimed at assisting clubs to look for new and different sources of revenue

 apart from the existing ones such as gate revenue and sponsorship.

The regional leagues have welcome the development, saying currently the regional league teams are overwhelmed once promoted into the TNM Super League, where they will be expected to fulfil the mandatory requirement while, at the same time, fighting for their survival.

Southern Region Football Association (SRFA) chairperson Raphael Humba said: “As you know, regional champions are annually promoted into the elite league, where they will be expected to comply with the mandatory requirement.

“It is, therefore, a challenge for them to embrace the mandatory licencing procedures while at the same time doing their best to compete at the elite level.”

However, while welcoming the development, some regional league clubs said it will be tough to fulfil the requirements since lower leagues are sponsored by individuals and lack adequate financial support.

Ntopwa FC owner Isaac Jomo Osman, whose team plays in the SRFA Premier Division League, said they do not have the capacity.

He said: “Most of us, regional league clubs, do not have a strong financial muscle to effectively adapt to the mandatory licensing requirements. Otherwise, professionalism of football at all levels is a good idea.”

FAM has already announced the introduction of club licensing in women’s football.

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