Malawi national team coach Stephen Constantine has praised The Football Association for its continuing commitment to developing football at levels in the African nation.

The FA’s National Investment Manager Peter Kay and Facilities Manager Eamonn Farrell travelled to Malawi at the start of July to assess the football infrastructure needs of the country and to compile an action plan centred on how best to achieve several short and long-term development goals.

Farrell and Kay delivered an administration workshop to the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) in November 2006, which provided the impetus for them to return to follow up on some of their original proposals.

Malawi is one of The FA’s partner countries through the UEFA-CAF Meridian Project and is in urgent need of a coherent grassroots football development programme.

Facilities are a key issue for FAM and it welcomed The FA’s expertise in this area, with Farrell and Kay meeting potential investors and construction companies to garner their interest and support.

Constantine, an Englishman who has been in charge of the Malawi national team for the past five months, told TheFA.com: "It is always nice to see someone from The FA when you are working abroad.

"It gives you that feeling of support and that people are interested in what you are trying to achieve outside of England.

"The main purpose of the visit was for Peter and Eamonn to follow up on their previous visit and to see how we can help move things along in Malawi.

"I spent a few days with them and was really impressed with how they went about their work.

"It is not easy coming from England and seeing some of the things that are going on here in terms of infrastructure and facilities.

"Peter and Eamonn managed to get their ideas across in such a way that it means we are all involved, that it is a collective effort and that we all stand to gain.

"The facilities and the subtle pointers from both Peter and Eamonn have certainly given FAM a great springboard to change things here in Malawi and with the continued help of The FA we can make a huge difference."

The FA is due to deliver a women’s and girls’ football development seminar and a young leadership programme in Blantyre at the end of October, where again the focus will be on nuturing the game at the grassroots level.