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FLEETWOOD HAIYA: New Dawn For the Super League of Malawi?

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  On 25th February 2023 , Fleetwood Haiya defeated the then incumbent Tiya Somba Banda to become the new President of the Super League of Malawi. Having demonstrated revolutionary leadership at the country’s football powerhouse, FCB Nyasa Big Bullets , where he had led the transformation of Bullets from a hooligan-led outfit to a proper professional trailblazing entity, Haiya came into the elections holding a strong upper-hand. This background helped him to ease his way past Somba Banda, who had overseen a stale SULOM under his watch. Haiya’s ascendancy to the helm of SULOM is a critical juncture that has the potential to resuscitate Malawian football. At the moment, according to TeamForm’s ranking of domestic football leagues in Africa, Malawi’s top-tier football league occupies number 41 out of 48 ranked domestic leagues on the continent. At a quick glance, given that Malawi currently ranks 32 out 54 on the continent on FIFA rankings, one would be tempted to take a dismissive ap
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THE CELEBS OF THE DISPUTED MAY 19, 2019 GENERAL ELECTIONS – PART 2

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A sequel to part 1 , this article continues to look at individuals that trended because of the nullified 2019 general elections. Without wasting time, let’s delve into the thick on things: Mary Chilima: “Mukufuna Mixtape? Tikupatsani”: The elegant Madam Chilima. Mary Chilima was already famous before the elections. Her elegance, impeccable countenance, and public appearances beside her husband had already gotten people talking. However, her popularity spiked a step further after dropping some bars on a beat in support of her husband’s bid for the presidency. It’s fair to say that the track split people’s opinion. While others acknowledged her lyrical prowess and forced rhymes, others cringed over her delivery and found the decision to step in the studio to be utterly ill-advised. That her music career ended as soon as it began probably supports the latter group’s opinion. Nevertheless, a good section of Malawians are still waiting for her maiden album or at least a mixtape. Maybe sh
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FANS’ ROLE IN THE FLAMES’ QUEST TO CONQUER THE COSAFA REGION

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  The Flames’ impressive exploits at AFCON 2021, where they exited the tournament in the round of 16 , have reignited the belief that Malawi can reach greater heights in international football. Considering that usual regional hegemons such as South Africa, Angola, and Zambia seem to be on an endless downward spiral, the Flames have a fair chance to become a football powerhouse for Southern Africa. To fully claim this status, though, the Flames need to build on their AFCON performance by registering solid results in their next assignments, which will include friendlies, the COSAFA tournament, CHAN 2022, and AFCON 2023 qualifiers. Positive results in these engagements would see the Flames improve on FIFA rankings and earn international recognition. For this to materialize, however, all stakeholders, including the Ministry of Sports, FAM, Mario Marinica and his technical team, the corporate world, local clubs, the players, the media, and us (the fans), need to take concrete action to s
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A JUNIOR FLAMES COHORT THAT FAILED TO FULFILL ITS POTENTIAL

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By qualifying for the 2009 edition of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, which took place in Nigeria, the Malawi U-17 national team became Malawi’s first - and to date only - national team to qualify for a World Cup tournament. Following this monumental achievement, football fanatics across the country earmarked the 2009 U-17 cohort as a collective that was destined to turn Malawi into an African football powerhouse.   However, 12 years later, when the average age of the 21-member junior Flames squad that travelled to the tournament is 27.6, the senior national team languishes on position 123 on FIFA rankings and continues to underperform even at COSAFA tournaments.  So, what happened to this cohort that was expected to propel Malawian football to greater heights?  As of the 2020/21 football calendar, only 10 of the 21 members that represented the country at the tournament are playing top flight football - all attached to TNM Super League teams. These are: Jailos Kapalamula ( MAFCO ), Victor Nan
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FOUR THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR IN THE 2020 TNM SUPER LEAGUE

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  This article highlights 4 major talking points football-starved fans need to look forward to ahead of the delayed 2020 TNM Super League season. These points are: 1.       1. T ight Race for the League Title 2019 season Champions: Nyasa Big Bullets Since the Super League became a 16-team league in 2016, competition for the title has always been a tightly contested affair. That year, Kamuzu Barracks’ Leicester City-esque run saw the Lilongwe-based soldiers win the title with 61 points – 1 point ahead of Nyasa Big Bullets. The following season, Be Forward Wanderers claimed the championship after amassing 69 points, 2 points ahead of second-placed Nyasa Big Bullets. The 2018 season turned out a little different in that Bullets ended their 2-year title drought by claiming the top spot with an 8 points gap ahead of second-placed Wanderers. The 2019 title race went back to basics, as Bullets nipped the title on the final day with a difference of 1 point ahead of runners up Wanderers. Ba
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ODE TO THE SLEPT ON SCORCHERS!

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  Earlier this month, the Scorchers did Mother Malawi proud by reaching the semis of the Cosafa Women’s Challenge. If you are a keen follower of the Flames and their perennial struggles in Cosafa tournaments, you must be aware that reaching the semifinal stage of Cosafa tournaments is not a mean achievement. For your own information, the Flames last reached this stage back in 2003! Inspired by the dynamic China-based Chawinga sisters, the Scorchers swaggered with style into the Semis, having incinerated Lesotho 9-0 and Zambia 1-0 in their Group B assignments. This run, unfortunately, hit bad luck in the semifinal where they fell 6-2 against the dominant Banyana Banyana. While the Chawinga sisters deservedly got all the credit and limelight for the Scorchers’ exploits at the tournament, I think it is fair to highlight and recognize other members of the squad that held their own throughout the 3 matches that the team played. These are individuals that the country ought to give specia
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