Kinnah, Mbeya FC part ways
Flames legend Kinnah Phiri has parted ways with Mbeya City Council FC after the Tanzanian Vodacom Premier League outfit terminated his contract just two matches into the 2017 season.
Both the club’s information officer Shah Mjanja and the former Flames mentor confirmed the development yesterday.
However, the two sides differed on the reasons behind the decision to terminate the contract.
Kinnah, who took the Malawi national football team to the African Cup of Nations in Angola in 2010, said he had to move on due to the team’s financial problems.
He said the club is in financial problems to the extent of failing to pay salaries on time.
However, Mjanja, while admitting that the club is in financial problems, said the reason behind the financial squeeze is that sponsors pulled out due to the team’s poor performance last season.
He said in a statement: “After long discussions, both parties agreed not to continue with their agreement. The main reason is the bad results of last season which has reduced the club’s ability to sustain its operations after some sponsors left.”
Mbeya City general secretary Emmanuel Kimbe confirmed that the club could not manage Kinnah’s demand for a pay hike.
Mbeya City, who finished on position 11 in 2016 season, are 10th with three points from two matches.
Last season, under Kinnah, the team registered 12 wins, 15 losses and 17 draws in 44 league and cup matches.
Meanwhile, in the absence of Kinnah, his assistant Mohammed Kijuso, is interim coach.
The outfit was established in 2011 in Mbeya City which is in the Southern Highlands of south-west Tanzania.
The team has Malawian players, defender Sankhani Mkandawire and goalkeeper Owen Chaima who were signed by Kinnah in his first season with the Tanzanian outfit.
