Hands off Scorchers! Malawi’s FA warns businesses

…FAM claims control over Scorchers players’ names, images in commercial crackdown Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has warned businesses and individuals against using Scorchers players, their names and images to promote products or services without its permission. Warning comes as Malawi National Women’s Football Team enjoys increased national attention following its historic qualification for 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). In a public notice issued Saturday, FAM said companies, organisations and individuals must obtain its approval before commercially using Scorchers brand or identities of players and officials. “Use of the Malawi National Women’s Football Team, its players, officials, name, images, logos, branding or other team-related intellectual property for product endorsements, advertising, promotions, marketing campaigns or any other commercial purposes requires prior consent from FAM,” reads part of the notice. FAM has consequently told businesses to keep their hands off Scorchers unless authorised. “All companies and individuals are urged to desist from using the team or its members to endorse or promote products, services, brands or commercial activities without prior authorisation,” FAM said. Notice potentially affects businesses hoping to capitalise on the growing popularity and commercial appeal of Scorchers and individual players. FAM’s declaration is particularly significant because it does not limit its claim to Scorchers logos, name and other team branding. It also specifically lists players’ names and images among material requiring its prior consent when used commercially. Association says the restriction is intended to protect both the team and players. “This measure is intended to protect the interests, image and commercial rights of the team and its players, while ensuring that the national team’s success is celebrated in a coordinated and respectful manner,” FAM said. FAM, however, said Malawians, organisations and other stakeholders remain free to celebrate Scorchers and individual players where there is no commercial association. According to the association, congratulatory messages, flyers, posters and social media graphics celebrating the team or individual players are permitted, provided they do not advertise or endorse a product, service or brand. Businesses wishing to commercially associate themselves with Scorchers have instead been directed to contact FAM for approval before using team-related material. FAM said interested parties should contact its Commercial and Marketing Department for authorisation and guidance. Notice comes at a time when Scorchers’ success has significantly increased visibility of Malawi women’s football, potentially making the national team and its leading players more attractive to advertisers and other commercial partners. Malawi narrowly lost to Cameron in the WAFCON finals. Individual player rights: What the law and FIFA say FAM’s ownership and control of Scorchers branding does not, by itself, necessarily mean it owns or exclusively controls every player’s individual name, image and personal endorsement rights. A footballer, according to FIFA, can ordinarily commercialise her own name, image and reputation through personal sponsorships, appearances and endorsement deals. FIFA’s football-agent guidance recognises “management of image rights and negotiating commercial contracts” among services that can be provided to individual players. English Professional Footballers’ Association similarly provides guidance to players on image rights, sponsorship and endorsement agreements. Practice is common across elite football. Lionel Messi, for example, has numerous personal endorsement deals with global brands that are separate from commercial arrangements involving his club or national team. This obscures one part of FAM’s notice: “Use of the Malawi National Women’s Football Team, its players, officials, name, images … for product endorsements … requires prior consent from FAM.” That raises an important question as to how far FAM’s claimed control extend. If, for example, Temwa Chawinga independently agrees to advertise a Malawian company’s product using her own name and image, without using Scorchers logos, FAM branding, official national-team photographs or suggesting that the company is an official Scorchers sponsor, would she still need FAM’s permission? The answer may depend on contractual arrangements between FAM and Scorchers players, particularly whether players have assigned or licensed some of their commercial image rights to the association or not.