Kamwendo off to Turkey

A veil of secrecy punctuated Joseph Kamwendo’s departure for Turkey on Wednesday with the Flames fancy winger and his Mighty Wanderers confirming nothing save for the Europe destination.

“Turkish teams want to have a closer look at me. I am not the one to lie about their identities, though. Pray for me that I should make it. I will fight that this opportunity should not slip through my legs,” said the revived midfielder.

Kamwendo, who had a stint with Danish Super League side, Norrdsjaelland in 2005/6, joked: ‘Mwina tidzawonananso zaka zikubwerazi [maybe we shall meet again after some years]” when asked if he will return home any time soon.

Wanderers’ general secretary George Chamangwana claimed to have no other details handy about the former Orlando Pirates player’s trip. Kamwendo left Malawi through Lilongwe’s Kamuzu International Airport at 10.40am via Kenya.

“The details are in my office, but I will not be there today. A Scottish agent sent the player’s video footage to a top Turkish league club. It seems they want him for formalities. We are happy to provide him this platform for a return to Europe,” Chamangwana said on Wednesday.

He said other issues of transfer fees and duration of contract will be known once the Turkish team look at him. Chamangwana’s deputy Richard Kambalame and coach Frank ‘Franco’ Ndawa too feigned ignorance of the trip.

“He has peaked in form again. It is strange that such a quality player was denied game time in South Africa,” said Ndawa about Kamwendo who asked out of Pirates last season after enduring three years of little action.

Ernest Mtawali was the first Malawian to try his luck at Turkish top side, Bekistas in 1992.

“Can Kamwendo can make it in Turkey? Oh yes! It is just a question of him pushing hard. Turkish football standards are high. They have top three teams, including Febernache and Galatasary. Austin Jay Jay Okocha played there,” said the South Africa-based Mtawali when asked to rate Kamwendo’s prospect of making it in Turkey.

In the absence of identities of the Turkish club Kamwendo is heading to, it is difficult to gauge its strength against Wanderers. But Turkey is a known footballing nation. They are ranked 28th in the world against Malawi’s 94th position. They were at the World Cup in 1950, 1954 and 2002. In their last appearance, they reached the semi-finals.

Turkey’s domestic football is played in five leagues with the superior one known as Spor Toto Super League. The others are Bank Asya 1, Spor Toto 2, Spor Toto 3 and A2.

 

FACT FILE

Age: 26

Clubs played for: Mchinji Medicals, Civo United, MTL Wanderers, Caps United (Zimbabwe), Norrdsjaelland (Denmark), Orlando Pirates, Vasco da Gama (both South Africa).

Honours: Malawi Player of Year 2003, Zimbabwe Soccer Star of Year 2005, Danish Goal of Year 2006 scorer.