Football Association of Malawi (FAM) says the requirement for coaching top-flight league clubs will be upgraded to Confederation of African Football (CAF) A licence once the cohort undergoing the course complete its studies in June 2027.

FAM president Fleetwood Haiya said this yesterday at Mpira Village in Chiwembe Township, Blantyre, when he officially opened the updated CAF A Coaching Course, which has 25 participants.

Currently, CAF B licence is the minimum requirement for coaching FDH Bank Premiership clubs under club licencing procedures.  

“The CAF B licence was set as the minimum requirement because the country has a few coaches with the CAF A badge. But after the completion of the course, we are unveiling today, we will have a vast pool of coaches for clubs to pick from,” said Haiya.

The CAF A coaching course is being conducted in the country for the first time in a decade.

Haiya described the course as a big opportunity for Malawi football to up its game.

“For years, our coaches have been travelling to other countries to get this badge, a development that was costly. Now, we are changing the narrative with the course being conducted locally and in accordance with the Malawi football environment,” he said.

Scorchers head coach Lovemore Fazili, whose chance to lead the Malawi Women’s National Football Team at the Fifa Women’s World Cup in Brazil next year has been foiled by the lack of the CAF A licence, said he is happy to be among the coaches undergoing the course.

“This course is something I have been longing to undergo all my life and I am happy that it is finally here,” he said.

The course’s facilitator and CAF coaches’ instructor John Kaputa, said the CAF A coaching course manual was locally developed, but accredited by Fifa so as to be in line with the Malawi football environment.

Among the 25 coaches taking part in the course, four are women, namely, Carolyne Phiri, Chisomo Nkhoma, Linda Kasenda and Karen Chaula.

At present, Scorchers assistant coach Maggie Chombo-Sadiki is the only female coach with a CAF A licence in the country.