FAM to Compensate Mabedi K156 Million After Court Ruling

The Industrial Relations Court (IRC) in Blantyre has ordered the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) to compensate former Flames coach Patrick Mabedi after ruling that his contract was unfairly terminated.

Mabedi, who was earning K13 million per month, took the matter to court demanding payment for the remaining one year of his contract.

He had signed a two-year deal with FAM in October 2023 to coach the Malawi national football team.

The contract included several performance targets such as helping Malawi qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), reaching the semi-finals of the COSAFA Cup, and winning at least six matches in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

However, Malawi did not take part in the COSAFA Cup after the country entered a period of national mourning following the death of former Vice-President Saulos Chilima and eight others in a plane crash.

In a ruling delivered on March 9, 2026, IRC Vice Chairperson Wyson Chandimba Nkhata said the evidence presented did not prove that Malawi had lost its chances of qualifying for AFCON by the time Mabedi was dismissed in October 2024.

The court also ruled that the COSAFA Cup could not be used as a basis for terminating his contract.

On the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, the court noted that Malawi had played only four matches, winning two and losing two, with six games still remaining.

The court therefore concluded that FAM did not sufficiently justify the dismissal and ordered the association to compensate Mabedi over K156 million.