FAM exco to determine coaching panel’s fate
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has said its technical sub-committee committee will meet next Saturday, to among other things, discuss the Ernest Mtawali-led coaching panel’s fate and review the Flames performance.
This comes in the wake of the team’s exit from the Cosafa Castle Cup in Namibia on Thursday in the group stages.
Mtawali and Ramadhan, who have about a month before their one-year contracts expire, were given a top-three finish target at the regional showpiece.
FAM president Walter Nyamilandu yesterday said: “The technical panel will meet soon to assess the situation and, thereafter, the executive committee will make a determination on the way forward based on the report.”
In an interview yesterday, Mtawali could only say the ball is in FAM’s contract.
“I think I have a month or so remaining on my contract and as for the future it is not up to me, it is them,” he said in a telephone interview from Johannesburg, South Africa.
Under Mtawali, the Flames have played 15 games, winning six, losing six as well and drawing three.
Commenting on the team’s performance at the regional showpiece, Mtawali described it as “very disappointing.”
“Despite enjoying lion’s share of possession, we did not show mental character and we were awful upfront.”
But soccer analyst Charles Nyirenda said the team failed to rise to rise to the occasion at the tournament because Mtawali put trust in players that were failing to score in the Super League.
“It was a gamble that failed to pay off . Just imagine three goals by Gabadinho [Mhango] against those lads from Angola, a set-piece goal by Miracle Gabeya from a corner kick against Mauritius and then nothing else. They failed to create a clear scoring chances,” he said.
Another tactician Yasin Osman said despite enjoying a lion’s share of possession, the Flames needlessly gave away possession.
“The midfield was also not effective, there were times when we had possession, it appeared we did not know what to do with the ball,” he said.
Many soccer followers including former FAM executive member George Kaudza-Masina said faulted Mtawali for featuring the same starting 11 in all the three games.
“It was clear that fatigue had started creeping in and, crucially, the Basothos must have observed that and planned on how to defuse us,” he said.
Ironically, Lesotho coach Moses Maliehe also told SuperSport in a post-match brief that he had observed that the Flames were fielding the same team and they came up with a good strategy for them. n
