FAM shortlists four

• Changes tune on criterion of hiring assistant coach; Osman snubbed

Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has short-listed four local-based coaches who are scheduled to attend interviews on Thursday for the vacant Flames job.

The four are Under-20 and immediate past Flames caretaker coach Ernest Mtawali, Be Forward Wanderers development and training manager Eddingtone Ng’onamo—who also served as Flames caretaker coach in 2013, Big Bullets coach Nsanzurwimo Ramadhan and ex-Bullets mentor Gilbert Chirwa who has been inactive for the past three years.

Both Chirwa and Ramadhan also had stints with the Flames as caretaker assistant coaches over a decade ago.

According to a press statement from FAM signed by general secretary Suzgo Nyirenda, the short-listing was done during the association’s executive committee meeting held in Lilongwe on Saturday.

“It is expected that the successful coach will be recommended as the new head coach for the Malawi national football team [The Flames]. It is expected that the new coach will be unveiled by August 1 2015,” reads part of the press release.

However, FAM has backtracked on its earlier announcement to give the head coach the freedom to choose an assistant of his choice and Nyirenda said: “Going through their applications, all the coaches have shown a lot of hunger and enthusiasm and we felt it would only be proper that the assistant coach should be the one who will come second in the interviews.

“The other thing is that in the past there were no clear terms of reference and perhaps that is why the working relationship between the head coach and his assistant was not sound. This time around the technical subcommittee will sit down with the successful candidates to clearly outline their roles.”

But Blantyre Newspapers Limited (BNL) seasoned sports journalist Pilirani Kachinziri said in an interview FAM should have lived by its word to let the successful candidate appoint his assistant, “because even if their roles are outlined, there are still bound to be differences”.

Asked to explain why Ramadhan has been short-listed when the association claimed that only local coaches would be considered for the job, Nyirenda said: “Since he is locally based, then local terms can apply. We stated that only locally based coaches would be considered regardless of whether they would be Malawians or foreigners.”

Five local-based and 32 foreigners applied for the job which fell vacant following the removal of Young Chimodzi, but while the FAM GS could not be drawn to disclose the fifth applicant who was not among the short-listed, The Nation established that it was veteran tactician and Wanderers technical director Yasin Osman.

“Yes, we received five local applications, but we are not obliged to disclose the one who has not been considered for interviews on ethical grounds,” said Nyirenda.

However, Osman confirmed having applied for the job yesterday, saying: “I filed my application and FAM confirmed receipt, you can cross-check with them.”

The prospective new Flames coach’s task will be to guide the Flames in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations and 2018 World Cup qualifiers.