RVG spits fire
Malawi national football team coach Ronny Van Geneugden (RVG) has expressed his frustration at Football Association of Malawi (FAM) for tolerating Nyasa Big Bullets players’ absence during the Flames’ assessment exercise.
Goalkeepers Ernest Kakhobwe and Rabson Chiyenda, defenders John Lanjesi and Miracle Gabeya, midfielder Mike Mkwate, strikers Chiukepo Msowoya and Patrick Phiri missed the assessment from Sunday after their club decided to camp in Lilongwe for Airtel Top 8 quarter-final against Moyale Barracks set for Mzuzu Stadium tomorrow.
Although they did not attend the week-long assessment, the seven players are up for selection—and RVG is apparently, against the idea.
In a brief interview before joining the Under-20 national team on the way to Angola for Under-20 African Cup of Nations (Afcon), RVG blamed FAM for the incident.
“I am not happy. I am very disappointed that Nyasa Big Bullets players were not part of the assessment process. I am also not happy with [what] FAM did,” said the Belgian mentor.
Last year, RVG sent back Silver Strikers players Brighton Munthali, Mark Fodya and Mathews Sibale for reporting late for camp after their club withheld them to feature in a league fixture.
They were only allowed back into the squad after the club apologised.
FAM general secretary Alfred Gunda refused to comment on RVG’s outburst.
But on Wednesday, Gunda said the coach was already aware of which players he would pick with or without Bullets’ players presence.
He said: “The assessment exercise concludes tomorrow [Thursday]. Which means by end of today [Wednesday] afternoon session, he would have picked his Cosafa Cup squad. Tomorrow, the players will be released to join their clubs and those that will make it into the final squad will regroup on Monday.”
The deadline for submitting a 20-man squad for the Cosafa Cup is Sunday, but Gunda had said he was expecting the squad from RVG by yesterday.
“In my view, by now the coach knows who is going or not. It’s the same with the five professional players. None of them attended the assessment exercise. They will be joining the squad on Monday.
“As for the Bullets players, it’s a request which the club made and I cannot say much about it, except to assume that they also knew the implications before withholding the players. Right now RVG has more than the required number of players in camp. The question is does he need them or not? That’s up to him to decide,” said Gunda.
Soccer analyst Charles Nyirenda said RVG needed to understand that Cosafa Cup is outside Fifa calendar and clubs withhold their players.
“In this case, Bullets are not saying they will not release the players. They only said they would allow the players join camp after Airtel Top 8 quarter-final against Moyale Barracks in a competition under FAM as well. I think he [RVG] needed to be considerate,” he said. n
