Chirwa (left) handing over the cheque to chavura
By Suleman Chitera
Listed First Capital Bank (FCB) has hiked the 2026 FCB plc Katswiri U20 Youth Football League sponsorship package to K100 million from K52 million last season.
According to FCB plc Head of Marketing, Twikale Chirwa, the Bank has also expanded the league’s coverage to 16 districts, including Mzimba and Machinga, from the current 14.
Speaking after unveiling the sponsorship in Blantyre on Tuesday, Chirwa said FCB plc doubled the package to widen efforts in identifying and scouting talent.
“We have launched this K100 million league together with the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) and the National Youth Football Association (NYFA) in response to the need to grow football at grassroots level. A lot of football talent in Malawi is discovered in rural areas, and these players eventually feed into the national teams and the elite league,” said Chirwa.
NYFA Chairperson Tiyenkhu Chavura, commended FCB plc for doubling the sponsorship which he says will benefit the players more, and directly through increased prize money.
“This support will allow us to improve prize money, provide uniforms for winners, and cover officiating costs. All this aligns directly with FAM’s Transforming the Game agenda.”
“Teams will first compete at district level, after which the best players will progress to division level. The top performers from each division will then advance to the national division. In addition, players from the winning teams will receive individual awards, which will further motivate young talent,” said Chavura.
The league is expected to kick-off in April next year, according to the FAM calendar, and will start at district level before moving to the regional level then national level
