Malawi Freedom Network 
By Malawi Freedom Network
Eleven Malawian referees have successfully passed the 2026 FIFA Member Association Physical Fitness Retest held on Saturday at Bingu National Stadium, while two FIFA assistant referees have lost their international badges after failing to meet the required fitness standards.
The retest was conducted under the supervision of Mozambican FIFA Instructor Ivan Simiao Bulo and involved 14 officials comprising five FIFA badge holders and nine local elite referees.
Three referees failed to make the required grade.
They are FIFA Assistant Referees Happiness Mbandambanda and Evance Msonda, together with local elite referee Jimmy Phiri.
The outcome means Mbandambanda and Msonda will lose their FIFA International Referee Badges, which qualify officials to officiate international matches.
The two vacant FIFA assistant referee positions will subsequently be filled through the FIFA process, based on recommendations from the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) Referees Subcommittee.
Among those who successfully completed the demanding physical assessment were FIFA officials Clemence Kanduku, Godfrey Nkhakananga and Mayamiko Kanjere.
Other successful referees were Alfred Chilinda, Mwayi Msungama, Michael Mwambyale, Waliko Simfukwe, Richard Shumba, Juliana Saizi, Mercy Mziya and Grace Mtambo.
The fitness retest is part of the requirements for referees operating at elite and international level, with officials expected to maintain the physical standards necessary to handle the intensity and demands of modern football.
FAM Referees Subcommittee member and former FIFA referee Verson Lwanja congratulated the officials who successfully completed the assessment and encouraged them to remain committed to both physical preparation and technical development.
Lwanja stressed the importance of continuous hard work, as refereeing at the highest level requires officials to remain physically fit while also sharpening their technical understanding of the game.
The results have therefore brought mixed fortunes for Malawi’s refereeing fraternity, with 11 officials successfully meeting the required standard while three fell short of the benchmark.
For Mbandambanda and Msonda, the loss of their FIFA badges represents a significant setback, while the vacant positions are now expected to trigger a new selection process involving FAM and FIFA.
