Mabedi, FAM case starts with mediation
Lawyers for former Flames coach Patrick Mabedi and Football Association of Malawi (FAM) have started mediation in a case in which the tactician is seeking compensation after he was fired with a year left on his contract.
The immediate-past Flames coach through his lawyer David Kanyenda of Makiyi, Kanyenda and Associates, sued FAM at the Industrial Relations Court (IRC) after the association fired him due to the team’s poor performance in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers.
Mediation in the case in which Mabedi, who was getting K13 million per month, is demanding full salaries and fringe benefits for the remainder of the contract duration, started on Monday.

Both Kanyenda and Luciano Mickaeus of Micklaw International yesterday confirmed the development in separate interviews.
“We had the mediation yesterday [Monday]. Under IRC rules, parties are required to hold a pre-hearing conference to see if the parties can arrive at an agreement or isolate issues that may go or may not go for trial,” said Mickaeus.
He said FAM is expected to come up with a decision on the matter after examining Mabedi’s demands.
“After the mediation, we have requested particulars for certain issues to understand better what he is demanding. From there, we will make our stand on the matter” said Mickaeus.
On his part, Kanyenda described the mediation as “productive”.
He said: “We had a productive pre-hearing session, but I’m not at liberty to divulge any specific details.”
However, Kanyenda warned that if mediation fails, they will proceed withfull trial.
“Suffice it to say that should a negotiated settlement fail, the matter shall proceed for a trial on the merits,” he said.
FAM last year terminated Mabedi’s contract which was set to expire in November 2025.
Unlike his predecessors, who were redeployed to other duties within FAM to see off their contracts after being removed as Flames coach, the association opted to entirely part ways with the tactician.
Mabedi signed a two-year contract with FAM in October 2023 after serving as interim coach for five months.
He was given targets to qualify for the 2025 Afcon, reach the 2024 Cosafa Cup semi-finals and at least finish second in Fifa 2026 World Cup group L.
Malawi did not participate in Cosafa Cup in June 2024 as the nation was in mourning following the death of the former vice-president Saulos Chilima and eight others in a plane crash at Nthungwa, Nkhata Bay.
But the Flames were booted out of the 2024 Afcon qualification as they anchored Group L.
However, they are still in contention in 2026 World Cup qualification which resumes next month.
The Flames are fourth in Group H with six points, having won against Liberia and Sao Tome and Principe, but lost to Equatorial Guinea.