Reserve Bank of Malawi(RBM)-sponsored Silver Strikers say they have fired their technical panel for failing to meet set targets.
The Central Bankers fired their Zambian head coach Dan Kabwe alongside his backroom staff on Saturday, a day after losing to Nyasa Big Bullets in a TNM top-of-the-table clash at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre.
Kabwe’s backroom staff included assistant coaches McDonald Mtetemera and McDonald Yobe, goalkeepers’ trainer S’busiso Padambo and team manager Peter Mgangira.
The Area 47-based side in Lilongwe is still in contention for the league title and the FDH Bank Cup, but in an interview yesterday, the club’s board of directors’ chairperson Victor Madhlopa defended the move, saying: “It is about missed set targets as stipulated in their performance-based contracts.
“He was tasked to win at least 24 out of 30 league games and that means the set target cannot be achieved as we are remaining with seven games.
“It’s an overhaul. We will finalise the process in the next 48 hours. There have to be changes.”
On who will take charge of the team, Madhlopa said: “It will become clear by the end of business tomorrow [today].”
He also said it was not all doom and gloom for Kabwe as he helped the team regain its style of play and were thankful for his contribution.
A source confided that the Silver board summoned Kabwe to a meeting on Saturday where he was informed about the decision and later the board met Mtetemera.
“They were yet to meet Yobe because after the Bullets game, he remained in Blantyre to attend to some personal issues,” said the source.
Kabwe, Mtetemera and Yobe could not be reached for comment yesterday.
When the Central Bankers hired the Zambian on a two-year contract in January last year, the board chairperson said they expected him to win every game and play entertaining football.
“Winning every game means winning all the available cups and the Super League,” said Madhlopa.
Following their loss to Bullets, Silver dropped to second with 46 points from 23 matches, two points below the People’s Team who have a game in hand.
At some point in the first round, Silver led with 12 points and they never lost at home. But they lost the plot as the league progressed, especially in the second round.
