By Shaffie A Mtambo
Excitement is building in Blantyre as Machinjiri Football Academy prepares to launch this coming Saturday at Nthawira Palish Ground.
The academy’s head of finance and administration, Isaac Njiwa, shared his vision and goals for the academy in an interview with 247malawi News,Emphasized his passion for giving back to the community that raised him. “I grew up in Machinjiri and there is just too much potential and talent. Even though I never played football to the highest level, I had friends who did, and this is my way of paying back to the community.”
The academy’s primary objective is to develop young footballers from the grassroots level, aligning with the Football Association of Malawi’s (FAM) vision. “We share the same ideas with FAM, where football needs to start from a grassroots level,” Njiwa explained.
Currently, the academy has teams for under 10, 14 and 17 age groups, with plans to introduce an under 21 team soon. While the academy has not yet secured any major partnerships, Njiwa expressed optimism that organizations and companies will come forward to support their vision.
The community, family, friends, and local businesses have already shown support for the academy. As Machinjiri Football Academy prepares to kick off, Njiwa’s message is clear: “We are here to stay, and we want to position ourselves in a space where we are ready to serve and take football to the next level.”
