Mighty Mukuru Wanderers president and board chairperson Thomson Mpinganjira says his team’s continued underachievement signifies lack of depth in both coaches and players on the domestic scene.
The business mogul and philanthropist, who has invested a fortune in excess of K2 billion in the Lali Lubani Road outfit in the past three seasons, was reacting to the Nomads’ failure to again meet the TNM Super League title target.
In an interview yesterday, Mpinganjira, sounding calm, said: “Sadly, I have concluded that we do not have the depth in both players and coaches in Malawi.
“As long as it remains like this, Malawi football will never develop. It will forever remain mediocre. At this stage, I cannot even see any player nor coach worth buying or hiring.
“Such is the state of football in Malawi. I cannot see any game-changers. While teams can beat each other locally, they cannot compete at continental level where they fail to get past the first hurdle and that speaks volumes about the state of our football. Never mind beyond that. Something has gone wrong with Malawi football.
“I know some will argue that [FCB Nyasa] Bullets and Silver [Strikers] are winning and beating Wanderers, but my response is simple, what happens at the national team?… Mediocrity. Amongst blind men you will find one of them leading the rest into a ditch. That is where we are. Heading nowhere.”
The Nomads boss said there is need to conduct some serious soul-searching for the Nomads to turn the corner.
He hinted at hiring an expatriate to review the technical set-up.
“I think the priority should be great investment in the technical side, especially coaching from an outsider and independent expert to assess the team and advise the club,” said Mpinganjira.
The club’s technical director Yasin Osman said he could not react to the club president’s views as he has to seek permission from management.
National Football Coaches Association chairperson Aubrey Nankhuni said while concurring with Mpinganjira on the lack of depth, there are some good enough to make the grade.
He said: “With due respect to Dr Mpinganjira, I feel there are some coaches with potential and we can recommend some.
“For example, Peter Mponda has achieved something that expatriates Pieter de Jongh and Daniel Kabwe failed by winning the Super League title.
“But generally, we agree with his observation on the lack of depth and the plan to hire a foreign expert to review the set-up, would be good so long as they include two local coaches that we are ready to recommend to learn from him the way Mponda did from [Bullets coach] Kallisto Pasuwa.”
Reacting to Mpinganjira’s views, football analyst Charles Nyirenda said: “This is an opinion coming from a very senior person who has seen it all. I will not comment directly on the conviction he has on what he has observed over time concerning our football.
“My simple contribution is that he is trying to draw our attention to a much bigger challenge we face as a nation, far beyond the excitement of the moment when this team or that club is crowned Super League champions.”
He also said the Nomads need to start beating their main rivals Bullets and Silver if they are to be serious contenders for the title.
Said Nyirenda: “It’s about statistical model. They should be able to earn at least three to full points when they are facing their main rivals, but that is not the case now.
“I also detect a psychological barrier whereby the attitude is that they struggle against these two teams.”
