Football Association of Malawi Technical Director Yvon Avry says active coaches from top clubs will be given priority for the CAF A Coaching Course after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) approved FAM to conduct the prestigious programme.
Avry said the course is expected to have a direct impact on elite football, as it will target coaches working in the country’s top competitions.
“We will select active coaches in the top clubs, that means the Super League, National League and Women’s National League, because it is important to give an impact to our top-level football. We will list all of them and give priority in liaison with the National Football Coaches Association,” said Avry.
CAF officially approved FAM to conduct the CAF A Coaching Course after the association successfully met all eight requirements under the CAF Coaching Convention.
Avry described the approval as an important step for Malawi football, saying the country had not been allowed to conduct CAF A courses for several years following changes made by CAF to coach education requirements.
“It is an important step for us because for some years now, we were not allowed to manage CAF A courses. CAF changed its approach six years ago and decided that all football associations in Africa should prepare a new, updated and high-level syllabus,” he said.
“What we have achieved in the last few months is fantastic, and now, with the response from CAF, we have been given the right to conduct CAF A courses.”
Avry said Malawi last hosted a CAF A Coaching Course in 2016, adding that the absence of the programme affected the development of high-level coaches in the country.
“For our history, the last CAF A course we conducted was in 2016, 10 years ago. That means, in 10 years, we regressed in our level of football because we were not developing coaches well,” he said.
He added that while Malawi had been able to conduct CAF B courses, the return of the CAF A programme will support coaches working at the highest levels of the game.
“Yes, we could manage up to CAF B, but now we are speaking about high level. We are speaking about top teams, the men’s national team, women’s national team, youth and senior teams. This will have a big impact on our football. Developing coaching is important and necessary to develop the level of football,” said Avry.
FAM President Fleetwood Haiya described the approval as a significant achievement in the association’s efforts to transform football through investment in technical capacity.
Haiya said the milestone will strengthen coach education and help produce more highly qualified coaches capable of competing at the highest level of the game, as Malawi will now be able to offer one of Africa’s highest coaching qualifications locally.
The CAF A coaching licence is the second-highest coaching qualification offered by CAF, sitting just below the Pro Licence.
