The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) is considering making the CAF A coaching licence a mandatory requirement for coaches in the country's elite football league once the ongoing training of 25 coaches is completed.

For the past decade, Malawi has largely relied on coaches holding CAF B licences to manage teams in the top-flight league, a situation that has affected their participation in international competitions, as some have been barred from sitting on the touchline due to CAF coaching qualification requirements.

However, the situation could change following the commencement of a six-month CAF A Coaching Course involving 25 coaches drawn from national teams, clubs and other football development structures.

FAM President Fleetwood Haiya says the Association wants to raise coaching standards in the country by ensuring that elite league coaches possess higher qualifications.

"We are looking at making the CAF A licence a minimum requirement for coaches in the elite league. We believe this will help improve the standard of our league and football in general," says Haiya.

Meanwhile, sports commentator Parley Chinyama has welcomed the development but has urged FAM to organise the courses regularly to ensure that more coaches have an opportunity to upgrade their qualifications.

"FAM should not make this a once-off exercise. There is a need to organise these courses frequently so that we have a wider pool of qualified coaches from which clubs can recruit," says Chinyama.

The CAF A licence is the second-highest coaching qualification on the African continent, behind the CAF Pro Licence, and allows holders to coach national teams and top-flight clubs.