FAM nods to eagles’ demand
Agrees to release Flames assistant coach Msakakuona
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has said it will not block Flames second assistant coach Deklerk Msakakuona from rejoining his club Blue Eagles FC.
The development follows the Malawi Police Service (MPS)-sponsored side’s announcement that it would demand the coach’s release since they still do not have any formal agreement with the association regarding his hiring.
Ironically, the cops have named Msakakuona as their head coach for next season with Christopher Sibale as their team manager and Wilson Chidati as team manager following a meeting they had on January 10 in Lilongwe.
Msakakuona alongside Flames first assistant coach Gerald Phiri are contracted to FAM until end March this year.
But FAM president Walter Nyamilandu said they will not stand in Msakakuona’s way.
“Deklerk has rendered good services to the national team and added a lot of value.
“It is now time for him to go and impart his knowledge to the club that groomed him,” he said.
The FAM boss also described the move as timely as Flames coach Ronny van Geneugden (RVG) will be reassessing his backroom staff.
“I am personally very proud of the success that Deklerk brought to the Under-17 national team by qualifying for the semi-finals of the Cosafa Youth Championship twice in succession.
“He has shown Malawians that we have talent and given us hope for the future.
“We will not be selfish by clinging on to him. Actually, it will be good for him to go back where he belongs to help Eagles recover their form,” said Nyamilandu.
On his part, Msakauona said he would go by whatever the two parties agree.
“I will be fine with whatever they agree because we [alongside Phiri] were waiting for permanent contracts from government,” he said.
Speaking from his home in Belgium on Saturday, RVG said he could not comment as he is yet to be officially communicated on the development.
“So, I suppose FAM would be the best to comment,” he said.
The development comes in the wake of reports that Msakakuona and Phiri were being sidelined by RVG, but the Flames coach denied the allegations.
With about two months before the expiry of their one-year deals, the two coaches are yet to be offered government contracts.
Two months ago, director of sports in the Ministry of Labour, Youth, Sports and Manpower Development Jameson Ndalama and FAM general secretary Alfred Gunda told Weekend Nation that their contracts were being finalised by the Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM).
They are currently being paid upkeeps by FAM based on monthly assignments.
