Seven TNM Super League clubs changed coaches during the 2024 season while nine kept faith in their gaffers to the very end.
The seven teams were Mighty Mukuru Wanderers, Mzuzu City Hammers, Creck Sporting Club, Bangwe All Stars, Fomo FC, Chitipa United and Baka City.
Out of these, Wanderers and Bangwe changed coaches twice.
The Nomads started the season with veteran Burundian tactician Nsanzurwimo Ramadhan, who jumped ship almost two months into the new season in May as pressure piled up after two back-to-back defeats against Silver Strikers and Hammers by 2-0 margins.
He was replaced by his assistant Meck Mwase, who also left unceremoniously in November, leaving Bob Mpinganjira to pick up the pieces in an acting capacity.
As for Bangwe, Christopher Nyambose set the ball rolling before resigning after only three months and was replaced by veteran coach Rogers Yasin.
He too didn’t last the distance. He was replaced by Trevor Kajawa in September.
Chitipa United had MacNerbert Kazuwa as head coach, who threw in the towel alongside his assistant Elvis Kafoteka. The Basongo then took on board Nyambose.
Creck Sporting Club also rung changes, when they removed coach McDonald Mtetemera, who was replaced by his assistant Joseph Kamwendo.
This was after the Lilongwe-based side had suspended Mtetemera earlier on.
Mulanje-based rookies Fomo FC parted ways with seasoned coach Gilbert Chirwa and his assistant Lucky Nyoni and in stepped Kafoteka.
Mzuzu City Hammers also roped in Kondwani Ikwanga, replacing Elias Chirambo who was redeployed as technical director.
However, apart from Wanderers and Hammers, there was little significance in the changes.
The Nomads went on to win the Castel Challenge Cup and finished as runners-up in the league under Mpinganjira’s tutelage while Ikwanga guided Hammers to the final of the same cup and a fourth-place finish in the league.
Commenting on the significance of the changes, football analyst Charles Nyirenda said: “For Wanderers it might be argued that after the changes, they went on to consolidate the second position on the Super League log table and also won the Castel Cup. We don’t know what would have happened had Mwase stayed put.
“Chitipa for sure gained from hiring Nyambose, who worked so hard to give the team a chance to stay up.
“For the rest, I have doubts if there were significant benefits from changing coaches because at the time previous trainers were getting fired, the clubs were more or less in good positions which they retained to the end.
“As for Baka, nothing changed at all because they remained rooted at the bottom to the very end owing to lack of quality players amongst other issues.”
Those who lasted the distance were Silver Strikers’ Peter Mponda, Kallisto Pasuwa of FCB Nyasa Bullets, Abbas Makawa of Civil Service United, Oscar Kaunda of Karonga United, Mafco FC’s Jimmy Mzunga, Pritchard Mwansa of Moyale Barracks, Charles Kamanga of Kamuzu Barracks, Andrew Bunya of PremierBet Dedza Dynamos and Leo Mpulula of Mighty Tigers.
