Mabedi to babysit the Flames until September
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has settled for Patrick ‘General’ Mabedi as Malawi national football team caretaker coach.
The association announced the former Kaizer Chiefs captain and coach’s appointment on Saturday after its executive committee meeting in Salima.
FAM in a statement said the Flames assistant coach and Under-20 head coach will lead the Flames up to September 2023.
The statement reads in part: “Mabedi will see the team through the two remaining 2023 Afcon qualifiers against Ethiopia in June and Guinea in September as well as the Cosafa Cup in May.”
The association said its choice was based on Mabedi’s involvement in the national team technical panel for the past years and his experience at international level.
The statement read: “FAM has settled for Mabedi to ensure continuity as he has been in the national teams structures for close to four years.
“He has served as Flames assistant coach since May last year and has been in charge of the Under-20 since 2020. He was also an assistant coach to Eddington Ng’onamo in 2013.
“The former Flames captain is one of the few local coaches with top international exposure having coached in South Africa, including a stint with Premier Soccer League giants Kaizer Chiefs.
FAM competitions and communications director Gomezgani Zakazaka said Mabedi will pick his own backroom staff.
He said: “Just like Marinica, Mabedi will pick the members of his technical panel, who will work with him for the period he is interim coach.”
The former Nyasa Big Bullets captain started his coaching career at Moroka Swallows as youth team coach from 2011 to 2015.
In 2014, he was promoted to assistant coach under head coach Craig Rosslee.
However, in 2016 Mabedi resigned and joined Mpumalanga Black Aces as assistant coach to Muhsin Ertuğral.
In 2016, FAM appointed Mabedi as assitant coach to Ramadhan Nsanzurwimo.
He, however, returned to South Africa following his appointment as Cape Town All Stars head caoch.
In 2017, Mabedi was appointed Chiefs assistant coach.
In April 2018, he was named interim coach following the resignation of Steve Komphela.
But in December 2018, he was fired alongside the new coach Giovanni Solinas.
Mabedi’s last coaching job in South Africa was at Black Leopards as assistant coach under Lionel Soccoia until 2019.
