The Ministry of Youth and Sports, in collaboration with the Football Association of Malawi (Fam), has invested approximately K156 million to procure luxury seats for the technical area at Bingu National Stadium (BNS).
The initiative aims to avoid the K9 million fine imposed by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) for using substandard seats during games.
The decision to purchase the seats was approved during Fam’s executive committee meeting held in Salima last April.
The new seats, sourced from South Africa, arrived in the country Wednesday.
Ministry of Youth and Sports spokesperson Macmillan Mwale confirmed the acquisition.
“We are pleased to have acquired modern benches that meet the requirements for hosting international and high-profile local matches. The estimated cost includes the seats, transportation and taxes,” Mwale said.
According to Caf regulations, stadia must provide luxury seats for substitutes and match officials, accommodating up to 14 people for teams and four officials for match management.
Article 46 stipulates that Caf may impose financial penalties on member associations for technical infractions observed during their matches, interclub competitions or Fifa qualifiers.
Fam General Secretary Alfred Gunda had not responded to our questionnaire by press time yesterday.
BNS remains the only Caf-certified venue in Malawi following the condemnation of Kamuzu Stadium as unfit for international matches.
Since opening in 2017, BNS has hosted numerous international fixtures, including last month’s 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier between the Flames and Sao Tome and Principe, as well as matches for Kenya against Burundi and Ivory Coast.
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