Kachilika named Queens coach

Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) has named former Malawi Queens captain and Imosys Netball Club coach/player Joana Kachilika as Malawi National Netball Team coach.

Her appointment comes almost eight months since the firing of immediate-past coach Peace Chawinga-Kaluwa,  who has since sued the association for unlawful dismissal.

NAM general secretary Isaac Chimwala confirmed Kachilika’s appointment in an interview yesterday, saying she has been given a two-year performance-based contract and will be assisted by former Queens defender Eleanor Mapulanga while former wing-attacker Beatrice Mpinganjira is now the physical trainer.

Kachilika will be in-charge of the Queens ahead at the test series against hosts South Africa’s Spar Proteas next month.

She is among six local coaches that have the Africa Level One Certificate,  a minimum qualification for coaching the national team. Others are Mpinganjira, Caroline Mtukule-Ngwira, Jane Chimaliro, Judith Chalusa and Charles Mhango.

The likes of Chawinga-Kaluwa, Mary Waya and Samuel Kanyenda, who is NAM technical director and was in-charge of the Queens at the recent Fast 5 World Netball Series in Australia, have higher badges.

But Chimwala justified the rookie coach’s appointment, saying the  NAM executive committee meeting last weekend settled for Kachilika due to her passion and commitment to youth development.

“She is one of the few coaches that are passionate about player development from the grassroots  which augurs well with our strategy as the national team goes through the transition process ahead of big competitions such as the 2026 Commonwealth Games and the 2027 Netball World Cup,” he said.

Kachilika has been given a target of winning at least 90 percent of games she will be in-charge of and ensuring talented young players from the Under-21 level quickly adapt to the Queens’ playing style and philosophy.

Chimwala clarified that they opted to appoint the coach rather than advertising the position as initially arranged because at present NAM does not have the capacity or resources to have a permanent renumeration package for the post.

“With Kachilika, it has been agreed that we will be paying her based on activities. We shall only advertise the job once we find a permanent source for the coach’s renumeration,” he said.

When The Nation called her yesterday to seek her reaction on her appointment and ask her what she will do to meet the targets, Kachilika said she would revert, but she had not done so by press time at 7pm.

Her notable achievement as a coach was when she, alongside co-coach  Mtukule-Ngwira, guided the Malawi Under-18 national team to claim silver at the 2021 African Union Sports Council Region 5 Games in Maseru, Lesotho.

In the past two seasons she has been in charge of Imoysis, the team finished third in the Rainbow Paints Blantyre and Districts Netball League.