Expatriate coaches still stand a chance—Nyamilandu
In a new twist to the position of Flames coach, the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has not completely ruled out the prospect of hiring an expatriate coach.
FAM president Walter Nyamilandu yesterday told Weekend Nation that all options are still being considered. This is in contrast to what he said recently that government had advised them to employ a local coach due to inadequate funds.
“The matter has not yet been concluded. We are still consulting with the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports and we hope to have a final decision at an executive committee meeting scheduled for next weekend,” said the FAM boss who also disclosed that they have received more applications from overseas than locally.
He added: “A short-listing exercise of both international and local applications will be done next week for review by the ministry and FAM exco. So, the door is not completely closed for an expatriate.”
Nyamilandu was reacting to Weekend Nation’s question on what would happen if a foreign coach applies for the job considering that FAM’s recent newspaper advertisement for the post did not clarify on whether only local mentors qualify, as per government’s advice.
In Malawi, coaches’ salaries remain a secret but it is understood that the recently sacked Young Chimodzi was on a gross salary of close to K1.5 million. Elsewhere, most expatriate coaches get in excess of K10 million monthly.
“A good coach always comes at a cost and the unavailability of resources for such an individual is limiting to our choice,” said Nyamilandu.
Among the most notable requirements for the job is a high-level coaching certificate such as Uefa-A, B or Fifa Pro-licence, which most local coaches do not have. Nevertheless, some 40 local coaches recently sat for CAF A licence examinations. CAF A licence is at par with a Uefa A badge.
Ernest Mtawali, who has just been roped in as a caretaker trainer, Patrick Mabedi, Gerald Phiri and Franco Ndawa are some of the highly qualified local coaches that have not taken full charge of the senior Flames. Mtawali and Mabedi have A licences while Phiri and Ndawa have Uefa-B badges.
Mtawali, who was the caretaker coach for the friendly match against Uganda Cranes which the Flames won 2-1, has another A licence from England FA.
Most highly qualified local coaches who have been tried and tested include Kinnah Phiri, Young Chimodzi, Jack Chamangwana, Yasin Osman, Eddington Ng’onamo, John Kaputa and Alex Masanjala.
When asked if government can accept FAM’s hiring of an expatriate coach, Minister of Youth Development and Sports Grace Chiumia said she would be free to comment on the matter after her meeting with the Sports Council and FAM later this week.
However, football analyst and former FAM chief executive officer Charles Nyirenda believes it is high time Malawi started believing in local coaches and invested much in developing talents from the grass roots.
“The problem is that we focus much on the abilities of the coaches without taking into account the development of quality players. We are failing to invest yet we expect to get good results. There are no shortcuts to success,” Nyirenda said.
He added that it is absurd that after 51 years of independence, the country still does not believe in its people.
“We will realise the goodness of having a local coach if we first invest much in youth development and let players grow together in football. We managed to win the 1978 East and Central Africa Senior Challenge Cup because the likes of Kinnah Phiri and Jack Chamangwana had been together in the national team for at least six years. We need such things to happen now,” Nyirenda said. n
