New FAM TD gets down to work

Newly-appointed FAM technical director (TD) Marian Mario Marinica has hit the ground running and asked Flames players and coach to submit reports on the last two 2022 Qatar World Cup qualifiers against Cameroon and Mozambique.

This will be the first time for the Malawi National Football Team players to submit reports.

The TD has also met four TNM Super League clubs’ technical panels. He met Mafco FC, Moyale Barracks, Nyasa Big Bullets and Mighty Wanderers technical panels at the weekend before and after watching Airtel Top 8 quarter-finals at Chitowe Stadium in Dwangwa, Nkhotakota.

The Romanian coach, who was accompanied by Flames coach Meck  Mwase, confirmed meeting the technical panels in an interview.

He said: “I am now in Dwangwa with coach Meck to see the two games for me  to   assess the overall Malawi football standards.

“We also want to  see if there are any players to consider for the national team. I also took the opportunity to engage with the teams’ representatives.”

In an interview yesterday, Football Association of Malawi (FAM) technical subcommittee chairperson Tiya Somba Banda said the coach will proceed to meet all TNM Super League clubs’ technical panels and other stakeholders.

The TD will then submit a report to the FAM technical sub-committee with recommendations ahead of the Cameroon Africa  Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals next January.

Somba Banda, who is also Super League of Malawi president, said: “The report which he will submit will help us in preparations for the Afcon finals.”

“The technical subcommittee will, in turn, present its report to the FAM executive committee on the next course of action.”

Marinica’s anticipated report will come after Malawi’s poor performance in the World Cup qualifiers in which the Flames managed just one win in five games to finish at the bottom of the table with just three points.

Before the World Cup qualifiers kicked off, the Flames also participated in the Cosafa  Championship where they  lost to Senegal and Mozambique and were held by Zimbabwe and Namibia in July. The team anchored their five-team group with just two points without  even a single win.

Soccer analyst Charles Nyirenda said the Flames need to utilise the technical director’s vast experience.

A holder of the Uefa Pro Licence, Marinica has coached Romanian clubs Rapid Bucuresti, Gloria Buzau, Sportul Bucuresti, Argeş Piteşti, Rocar Bucuresti, and Cimentul Fieni.

He has also had stints with African clubs at Azam FC in Tanzania, Black Leopards in South Africa as well as Zakho FC of Iraq and Kaposvári Rákóczi FC of Hungary.

Marinica has also worked with Crystal Palace FC and Arsenal FC’s Academies as well as Leyton Orient FC’s School of Excellence.

His playing career included spells at Rocar Bucuresti, Dinamo Bucuresti and Steaua Bucuresti.