FAM MOURNS CHILIMA

Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has expressed its sadness over the death of the state Vice President of the Republic of Malawi, Dr Saulos Klaus Chilima saying the country has lost a great leader.

The Association said this through a press release after the confirmation of the tragedy when the plane that carried Dr Chilima and 8 other people on Monday went missing only to be found 26 hours later crashed with noone alive.

Meanwhile, the Association has described Chilima as a visionary and transformative leader who placed the interests of the nation above his and that they shall remember him for holding different roles in Football.

"He shall be remembered for his enormous contribution to sports and football in particular. Among others, Dr. Chilima played a crucial role as chairman of the fundraising committee that raised funds for the first ever FAM Cup in 2005 when the country played the whole season without a corporate sponsor.

He was also the chairperson of the FAM Competitions Committee and was instrumental in securing the Standard Bank Cup sponsorship in 2007." Wrote the Press release.

However, FAM has also communicated that FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, who will arrive in the country on Tuesday night was scheduled to meet Dr Chilima on Wednesday and that most of his activities he was to do in the country have been cancelled.

The FIFA President will just pay his solemn homage to President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, the bereaved family and the nation at large.

Dr Chilima has been the State Vice President since 2014 when he was voted into power together with Prof. Arthur Peter Mutharika and retained his power in 2020 as a vice to Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera. He has died at the age of 51.